Skip to main content

Full text of "History of the town of Carver, Massachusetts : historical review, 1637-1910"

See other formats 


UMASS/AMHERST 


31EDtbODflTbDSn 


jjmimims^mmmmMmmmmm. 


V  A:;:::7^-^--:.SOUTH^M&ETlNG   House- — ERECTED     17" 


V^^ViS^ 

HxHHBiBfii 

Hi 

''fRST  ^ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 
LIBRARY 


F 

74 
C28G8 


Date 

Due 

1 

Q?^ 


A*^ 


in 


tWf 


PIMNTEO  IN  U.S.A. 


HISTORY 


OF     THE 


TOWN  OF  CARVER 

MASSACHUSETTS 


Historical   Review 

1637  TO  1910 


HENRY   S.    GRIFFITH 


NEW   BEDFORD,   MASS, 

E,  ANTHONY  &  SONS,  Inc.,  Printers 

1913 


PREFACE 

In  the  course  of  a  conversation  about  three 
years  ago  I  was  urged  to  write  the  history  of 
Carver.  It  was  pointed  out  that  the  character 
of  our  population  is  rapidly  changing,  that  among 
the  new  residents  there  are  no  ties  reaching  back 
to  Old  Colony  ancestors,  and  that  should  any  one 
undertake  to  write  the  story  a  few  years  hence 
there  would  be  no  sentiment  among  the  people 
that  would  insure  its  publication.  At  the  present 
time,  too,  there  are  descendants  of  Carver  scat- 
tered between  the  two  oceans  and  these  might 
appreciate  such  a  memento  of  their  New  England 
ancestors.  And  acting  upon  the  above  suggestion 
much  of  the  data  had  been  gathered  when  at  the 
annual  town  meeting  in  1912,  Frank  E.  Barrows, 
Donald  McFarlin  and  myself  were  delegated  to 
arrange  for  its  publication. 

One  engaged  in  historical  research  appreciates 
the  importance  of  comprehensive  records.  Our 
earliest  society  records  are  not  complete.  Many 
of  them  were  first  kept  on  loose  leaves  which  later 
were  copied  in  books,  while  our  ancestors  have 
scarcely  left  a  mark  concerning  the  incidents 
which  so  strongly  appeal  to  our  fancy.  The  earlier 
records  were  unsigned,  in  the  case  of  churches 
they  were  kept  by  the  ministers,  and  the  19th  cen- 
tury was  well  under  way  when  the  practice  of 

ill 


iv  PREFACE 

making  clerk  signed  records  came  into  vogue.  In 
some  of  the  records  double  dating  was  not  in- 
variably practiced,  and  where  I  have  used  single 
dates  during  that  period  the  Julian  calendar  date 
is  to  be  understood. 

Our  town  records  are  in  a  good  state  of  pres- 
ervation, the  older  volumes  having  been  preserved 
by  the  Emory  process.  The  first  books  contain 
vital  records  copied  from  the  records  of  Plymp- 
ton,  but  generally  speaking  our  vital  records  be- 
gin with  the  year  of  the  town's  incorporation.  We 
have  duplicates  of  the  first  two  volumes  of  the 
town  records  made  by  Ira  Murdoch. 

The  Precinct  records  in  the  custody  of  the  Con- 
gregationalist  Church  are  not  in  good  condition, 
and  these  with  the  records  of  the  Proprietors  of 
the  South  Meeting  House  and  the  first  volume  of 
the  Baptist  Society  records,  in  consideration  of 
their  historical  value,  should  be  carefully  pre- 
served. Unfortunately  the  church  records  of 
Eeverends  Campbell  and  Rowland  of  the  first 
church  are  missing,  and  this  removes  from  view 
the  baptisms  from  1732  to  1804  (the  period  of 
their  greatest  value)  and  doubtless  other  facts 
that  would  be  of  interest.  The  records  of  the 
Proprietors  of  the  Congregationalist  Church 
(1823)  and  of  the  Baptist  Church  (1824)'  are  also 
missing  with  whatever  of  interest  they  may  have 
contained. 

As  there  was  no  attempt  at  a  systematic  record 
of  vital  statistics  previous  to  1842,  the  gravestone 
inscriptions  are  important  and  the  date  of  death 
of  some  who  were  not  thus  honored  is  lost.     The 


PREFACE  V 

i\^riter,  assisted  by  young  friends,  copied  these 
inscriptions  in  1900,  and  these  transcribed  in  a 
book,  form  a  valued  record  now  in  the  possession 
of  the  town.  A  few  mistakes  were  made  in  the 
process  of  copying,  but  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  inscriptions  are  fast  becoming  indecipherable 
on  some  of  the  older  stones,  this  record  will  pre- 
serve some  dates  that  otherwise  might  be  lost. 

The  compulsory  return  of  vital  statistics  was 
not  required  until  1850,  and  to  make  up  for  the 
■deficiency  the  State  officials  have  entered  upon  a 
policy  that  will  ultimately  put  the  State  Library 
in  possession  of  copies  of  the  older  records  and 
also  insure  their  publication.  The  writer  fur- 
nished the  State  with  a  copy  of  the  vital  records 
of  Carver,  and  this  copy,  with  additions  from  the 
cemetery  record  above  referred  to  and  from  pri- 
vate records,  has  been  published,  thus  relieving 
this  work  of  anything  in  the  line  of  genealogy. 

In  a  work  of  this  kind  mistakes  are  easy  to 
make.  To  take  the  imperfect  records  and  evolve 
a  complete  story  without  an  omission,  a  repetition 
or  a  contradiction  requires  a  mind  more  proficient 
in  the  art  of  deduction,  and  with  more  patience 
than  the  writer  happens  to  possess.  The  his- 
torian of  a  community  rich  in  traditional  legends 
who  in  the  course  of  his  researches  becomes  ac- 
quainted with  the  social  and  industrial  past,  and 
who  is  thus  in  a  position  to  compare  the  painted 
picture  with  the  barren  field  of  history,  must  feel 
a  sense  of  dissatisfaction  with  his  work.  Espe- 
cially is  this  true  when  we  attempt  to  picture  the 
social  conditions  of  the  first  settlers.     We  know 


vi  PREFACE 

their  experiences  as  pioneers  were  replete  with 
dangers  and  romances,  the  simple  narration  of 
which  would  make  a  thrilling  story,  but  when  we 
ask  of  departed  time  a  revelation  of  her  secrets 
our  question  re-echoes  across  a  barren  waste. 

I  fancy  I  see  the  smiles  of  satisfaction — if  not 
of  vanity — on  the  faces  of  the  residents  of  the 
first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  as  they  review 
the  progress  they  had  made  not  only  in  material 
things,  but  in  the  realm  of  civil  and  religious  lib- 
erty. And  if  we  compare  that  record  with  that 
of  some  of  their  European  contemporaries  we  may 
concede  their  right  to  boast  over  their  achieve- 
ments. And  when  I  review  the  progress  made 
in  the  Colony  from  the  ascension  of  William  and 
Mary  to  the  middle  of  the  succeeding  century  I 
am  forced  to  hold  the  opinion  that  we  gained 
more  in  the  cause  of  liberty  by  the  English  than 
we  did  by  the  American  Revolution. 

Unfortunately  local  records  are  silent  regard- 
ing the  personnel  of  the  Revolutionary  Army  and 
the  only  glimpse  we  get  of  the  individual  records 
of  our  patriotic  sires  is  in  the  more  or  less  con- 
flicting rolls  on  file  in  the  Archive  Department  at 
the  State  House.  These  rolls  have  been  classi- 
fied, indexed  and  published,  and  anyone  seeking 
the  record  of  an  ancestor  is  referred  to  these  vol- 
umes. In  this  story  I  have  only  sought  to  give 
a  general  idea  of  what  our  mother  town  did  in 
the  cause  of  national  independence.  My  list  is 
so  unsatisfactory  that  I  feel  like  apologizing  for 
it,  and  the  danger  of  doing  an  injustice  to  some 
enthusiastic  patriot  impels  me  to  refer  to  the  pub- 


PREFACE  vii 

iication  mentioned  above  as  an  appeal  from  my 
efforts.  There  was  no  dividing  line  between  the 
two  Precincts  so  far  as  the  Eevolution  is  con- 
cerned, and  it  would  be  an  endless  genealogical 
task  to  make  a  separate  list  of  the  soldiers  who 
resided  in  the  South  Precinct,  so  I  have  made  a 
list  of  all  who  served  to  the  credit  of  the  town  of 
Plympton.  In  the  enthusiastic  march  to  dislodge 
the  enemy  from  the  town  of  Marshfield,  fruitless 
except  as  an  indication  of  the  unanimous  senti- 
ment of  the  town,  those  militia  men  who  served 
under  Captains  William  Atwood  and  Nathaniel 
Shaw  were  mainly  from  the  South  Precinct.  I 
suspect  the  soldier  who  appears  on  the  rolls  as 
Swanzea  Murdock  may  have  been  a  negro  known 
locally  as  Swanzea.  He  was  employed  by  Bartlett 
Murdock,  and  with  only  one  name  of  his  own  his 
posterity  will  excuse  him  for  borrowing  that  of 
his  employer  in  such  a  patriotic  cause.  The  vari- 
ous ways  of  spelling  names  as  they  appear  on  the 
rolls  is  a  handicap,  and  I  have  followed  the  mod- 
ern way  of  spelling. 

At  the  time  this  is  written  there  appears  no  way 
of  obtaining  a  reliable  list  of  the  soldiers  who 
served  in  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain,  in 
consequence  of  which  those  veterans  are  denied 
their  place  in  this  story.  The  State  has  begun 
the  task  of  rescuing  these  names  from  their  tomb 
in  the  War  Department  at  Washington,  and  while 
the  Adjutant  General  of  the  State  has  completed 
his  part  the  publication  will  not  be  made  before 
this  work  is  published. 


viii  PREFACE 

In  my  list  of  volunteers  of  the  Civil  War  I  have 
included  two  names  who,  while  residents  of  the 
town,  did  not  fill  a  quota  of  Carver.  Albert  T. 
Shurtleff,  the  first  to  enlist,  joined  a  Ehode  Island 
regiment,  and  Ezra  Pearsons  enlisted  to  the  credit 
of  the  State  of  Maine. 

I  express  gratitude  to  the  memory  of  the  late 
Lewis  Pratt,  who  gave  me  so  much  from  a  good 
memory  relating  to  the  old  time  furnaces;  also 
to  the  late  William  T.  Davis,  an  authority  on  Old 
Colony  history.  In  my  story  of  the  natural  con- 
ditions of  the  town  I  give  credit  to  Miss  Helena 
McFarlin,  who  furnished  me  with  a  list  of  the 
birds  and  wild  flowers. 

H.  S.  G. 

South  Carver,  June  19,  1913. 


CONTENTS 

Page 

Natural  Conditions 1 

Indians 13 

The  First  Speculators 19 

A  Few  Early  Laws 31 

The  First  Separation 43 

Early  Settlers 51 

The  South  Precinct  of  Plympton  ....  65 

Plympton  in  the  Revolution 91 

The  Congregationalist  Church      ....  Ill 

The  South  Meeting  House 121 

The  Second  Separation  . 135 

The  Temperance  Movement 155 

The  Baptist  Church 163 

The  Methodist  Church 175 

The  Advent  Christian  Church     ....  181 

The  Union  Society    .........  185 

Furnaces  and  Foundries 191 

The  Cranberry  Industry 217 

Military  History 223 

Carver  in  the  Rebellion 231 

War  of  1812-14 ...  241 

ix 


X  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Page 

Post  Offices 243 

Small  Pox 244 

Cemeteries 245 

Population ,      .  250 

Miscellaneous  Industries 251 

Chronological  Events 257 

Landmarks 265 

Biographical  Sketches 271 

Precinct  Officers 293 

Parish  Officers 302 

Church  Members 305 

State  and  County  Officers 326 ' 

Toivn  Officers 328 

Index  of  Names 341 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Facing 
Page 

The  South  Meeting  House     .     Frontispiece 

A  View  of  Sampsons  Pond viii 

A  View  of  East  Head  Woods     ....  8 

Barretts  Pond 16 

A  Corner  on  HemlocJc  Island       ....  24 

The  Shurtleff  Homestead 26 

The  Sturtevant  House   .      .      .      .      .     .      .  30 

Residence  of  Finney  Brothers 32 

The  Griffith  Homestead 40 

The  TVaterman  House 48 

The  Carver  Primary  Schoolhouse      .     .      .  50 

The  Wenham  Schoolhouse       ......  54 

The  Popes  Point  Schoolhouse       ....  58 

The  Bates  Pond  Schoolhouse    ...         .62 

The  South  Carver  Schoolhouse     ....  72 

Benjamin  W.  Bobbins 80 

The  Second  Church 88 

The  Congregational  Church 96 

Hon,  Benjamin  Ellis 106 

Huit  McFarlin 110 

Henry  Sherman 112 

xi 


xii  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Facing 
Page 

The  Town  Ball 120 

The  North  Carver  Schoolhouse    .     .     .     ,.  122 

,The  High  School  Building 126 

Thomas  Hammond,  Jr 136 

The  Baptist  Church 144 

The  Hammond  Homestead 152 

The  Methodist  Church .  160 

The  Methodist  Chapel 168 

The  Advent  Christian  Church      ....  176 

The  Union  Church 178 

Lewis  Pratt,  Jr 182 

The  Charlotte  Furnace  Building   ....  186 

Hon.  Peleg  McFarlin 190 

Hon.  Jesse  Murdoch     .     .     .     .     .     .     .  200 

Eben  D.  Shaw 208 

Federal  Screen  House 210 

Section  of  Federal  Village 214 

A  Section  of  the  Wankinco  Bog    ....  218 

Albert  T.  Shurtleff 222 

Capt.  William  S.  McFarlin 224 

Maj.  Thomas  B.  Griffith 232 

The  Soldiers  Monument 234 

Thomas  Southworth 238 

Lakenham  Cemetery 248 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xiii 

Facing 
Page 

Harrison  G.  Cole 256 

George  P.  Bowers 264 

Horatio  A.  Lucas      .     .      ...      .      .     .  272 

A  Section  of  East  Head  Game  Preserve     .  274 

Andrew  Griffith 278 

William  Savery 280 

Mrs.  Rosa  A.  Cole 288 

Dea.  Thomas  Cohh 296 

John  Maxim,  Jr 304 

Mrs.  Priscilla  Jane  Barrows 312 

Ellis  H.  Cornish,  M.  D.  .     .     .     .     .     .     .320 


History  of  Carver 


HISTORY  OF  CARVER 


NATUEAL   CONDITIONS 

The  town  of  Carver,  comprising  about  twenty- 
four  thousand  acres,  is  located  midway  between 
tidewater  in  Plymouth  and  tidewater  in  Ware- 
ham.  The  centre  of  the  town  would  fall  near  41 
degrees  52  minutes  north  latitude  while  a  meridian 
70%  degrees  west  from  Greenwich  would  intersect 
the  parallel  near  the  centre  of  the  town.  The 
Weweantic  river  separates  a  short  section  in  the 
southwest  from  Middleboro,  the  Wankinco  about 
the  same  distance  of  the  southeastern  border 
from  Plymouth,  otherwise  the  town  has  no  natural 
boundaries.  Generally  speaking  the  town  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  Plympton,  on  the  east  by 
Kingston  and  Plymouth,  on  the  south  by  Ply- 
mouth and  Wareham,  and  on  the  west  by  Ware- 
ham  and  Middleboro. 

The  northern  and  southern  sections  are  rolling 
interspersed  with  ponds  and  swamps  with  the 
central  section  mainly  level.  Several  thousand 
acres  in  the  southeastern  section  is  made  up  of 
barren  hills,  sterile  except  for  scattering  scrub 
oaks  and  pines  and  occasional  fertile  spots.    The 

1 


2  HISTORY     OF     CARVER 

conditions  surrounding  the  swamps  are  peculiarly- 
adapted  to  cranberry  culture,  and  the  upland, 
worthless  in  a  commercial  sense,  is  noted  for  its 
scenic  beauty.  The  most  desirable  land  for  agri- 
cultural purposes  is  in  the  north  section  where 
the  earliest  settlements  were  made. 

While  the  town  is  generally  noted  for  its  sandy 
soil,  there  are  marks  of  a  glacial  drift  and  occa- 
sional spots  of  rich  deposits.  Stretching  across 
the  central  section  in  a  southeasterly  course  a 
windrow  of  boulders  separates  the  better  soil  of 
the  north  from  the  sandy  soil  of  the  south.  The 
widest  deviation  in  this  windrow  is  in  the  terri- 
tory from  Sampson's  pond  to  Cedar  brook,  which 
is  made  up  of  bowlders.  One  extension  which  has 
acquired  the  sobriquet  of  The  Ridge  protrudes 
from  the  main  drift  in  a  southerly  direction  and 
separates  the  pond  from  the  large  cedar  swamp 
which  appears  to  be  in  the  same  depression. 
Tillson's  brook,  which  unites  the  cedar  swamp 
with  the  pond,  makes  its  connection  around  the 
southerly  end  of  the  ridge. 

Three  streams,  dignified  in  local  history  by  the 
name  of  rivers,  form  the  basis  of  the  town's 
drainage  system,  viz. :  The  Winatuxet,  the  Wewe- 
antic  and  the  Wankinquoah.  Lakenham  brook, 
running  northerly  from  its  source  in  Lakenham 
pond,  in  its  junction  with  Mahutchett  brook,  gives 
rise  to  the  Winatuxet.  This  river  is  also  fed  by 
Annasnapet  brook,  which  flows  westerly  across 
the  north  end  of  the  town.  In  turn  this  brook  is 
swelled  by  two  smaller  streams,  Huntinghouse 
brook  and  another  to  the  east,  both  running  north- 


NATURAL     CONDITIONS  3 

erly  and  emptying  their  contents  into  Annasnapet 
brook. 

The  Weweantic  rising  at  Swan  Hold  and  flowing 
across  the  town  in  a  southwesterly  course,  with 
its  great  tributary,  the  Crane  brook,  drains  the 
larger  half  of  the  town.  Wenham  brook,  which 
flows  from  Wenham  pond  southerly;  Horseneck 
brook,  flowing  from  the  Centre  swamp  easterly; 
Causeway  brook,  flowing  from  a  swamp  on  the 
Wenham  road  southerly ;  Beaver  Dam  brook,  flow- 
ing from  Beaver  Dam  pond  westerly ;  Cedar  brook, 
running  westerly  from  the  cedar  swamp;  two 
brooks  flowing  out  of  New  Meadows  westerly;  a 
blind  brook  flowing  westerly  from  No-Bottom 
pond,  and  Atwood  brook,  flowing  southwesterly 
from  Bates'  pond,  all  add  to  the  majesty  of  the 
Weweantic. 

With  the  exception  of  East  Head,  West  Head 
and  the  swamps  on  the  Wareham-Carver  town 
line,  the  Crane  brook  drains  the  territory  south 
of  the  cedar  swamp,  including  the  southerly  sec- 
tion of  the  swamp  itself.  This  stream  flows  from 
Federal  ponds  southwesterly,  pouring  its  accu- 
mulated waters  into  the  Weweantic  just  before  it 
leaves  the  town.  Dunham's  pond  sends  its  sur- 
plus water  down  the  Crane  brook  either  directly 
through  a  short  brook  that  connects  its  easterly 
shore,  or  indirectly  through  Tillson's  brook, 
which  flows  from  the  cedar  swamp  southwesterly 
into  Sampson's  pond.  This  pond  also  receives 
water  from  the  New  Meadows  country  through  a 
brook  that  crosses  Rochester  road  east  of  Union 
church,  and  sends  its  surplus  to  the  Crane  brook 
through  its  southerly  outlet,  Sampson's  brook. 


4  HISTORY    OF    CAR\T:R 

Cedar  pond  and  Clear  pond  are  closely  related 
and  connect  with  Crane  brook  through  the  west- 
erly outlet,  more  or  less  blind,  that  makes  through 
the  swamp  southwesterly.  Indian  brook,  rising  in 
Indian  swamp  and  running  southerly,  fed  itself 
by  a  brook  running  from  near  the  southwesterly 
point  of  Sampson's  pond,  adds  to  the  waters  of 
the  Crane  brook. 

East  Head  brook,  running  from  East  Head 
and  West  Head  brook,  running  from  White 
springs,  give  rise  to  the  Wankinquoah,  which 
drains  the  swamps  in  that  region  and  empties  its 
waters  in  Tihonet  pond.  The  swamps  in  the  ex- 
treme southerly  section  of  the  town  also  drain 
into  Tihonet  pond  through  Mosquito  brook.  Rose 
brook  has  its  source  in  these  swamps,  but  drains 
but  a  small  part  of  them. 

Cooper's,  John's,  Triangle,  Gould's  Bottom  and 
Barrett's  ponds  have  no  outlets. 

The  large  area  of  the  town,  sparsely  populated, 
with  numerous  ponds,  streams  and  jungles,  unite 
to  make  the  territory  a  favored  breeding  ground 
of  the  fish,  animals  and  birds  that  thrive  in  this 
latitude. 

Fish  formed  a  staple  article  of  food  for  the 
earlier  settlers  and  in  the  days  of  the  first  resi- 
dents the  industry  developed  three  fish  weirs. 
Sampson's  and  Doty's  ponds  were  breeding 
places  for  herrings  until  their  egress  and  ingress 
was  closed  by  the  development  of  manufacturing 
along  tlie  Weweantic  river.  These  ponds  were  also 
stocked  with  white  perch,  a  valued  food  fish  until 
the  species  became  land  locked,  since  which  it  has 


NATURAL    CONDITIONS  5 

so  far  degenerated  as  to  become  nearly  worthless. 
During  the  latter  half  of  the  19th  century  some 
of  the  ponds  were  stocked  with  black  bass  and 
that  species  has  become  the  most  valuable  for 
food.  The  list  of  fresh  water  fish  that  have  always 
thrived  would  include  pickerel,  red  perch,  shiners, 
white  fish,  roaches,  hornpouts  and  brook  trout. 

Deer,  the  largest  of  our  wild  animals,  find  fa- 
vorable conditions.  Through  persistent  hunting 
they  were  exterminated  in  the  latter  half  of  the 
19th  century  but  under  the  protection  of  the  law 
they  regained  a  foot  hold  and  the  opening  days 
of  the  20th  century  found  them  so  numerous  as 
to  be  actually  depredations. 

The  first  settlers  found  beavers  and  wolves  in 
abundance.  The  former  were  highly  prized  for 
commercial  reasons  and  quickly  exterminated 
while  war  was  declared  on  the  latter  also  for  well 
known  reasons  and  they  too  disappeared.  Foxes 
and  skunks  have  ever  been  regarded  with  suspic- 
ion and  while  they  have  never  had  the  protection 
of  the  law  they  still  thrive.  Being  valued  for 
their  furs  there  is  a  double  motive  for  destroying 
them  and  the  persistency  in  which  they  hold  their 
own  is  creditable  to  their  cunning.  Other  animals 
which  are  valued  for  their  furs,  but  which  ap- 
pear to  be  disappearing  are  otters,  minks,  rac- 
coons, muskrats  and  weasels. 

The  woods  once  teemed  with  hare  and  rabbits, 
but  these  are  liable  to  be  extinct.  The  destruction 
of  their  breeding  places  in  the  process  of  cran- 
berry bog  construction  is  the  main  cause  of  the 
extermination  of  this  game,  with  increasing  popu- 


6  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

lation,  forest  fires  and  persistent  hunting  as  con- 
tributing factors.  Gray  squirrels,  red  squirrels, 
and  chipmunks  are  undiminished. 

The  first  settlers  declared  war  on  crows,  crow 
blackbirds  and  red  birds  (brown  thrashers)  in 
the  interests  of  their  corn  fields,  but  in  spite  of 
these  inconveniences  the  birds  are  with  us  yet  and 
as  we  get  better  acquainted  with  them  we  rejoice 
that  thev  have  not  been  exterminated. 


Following  is  a  list  of  the  birds  of  the  town 


Land 
American  cross  bills 
Blue  birds 
Blue  jays 
Bobolinks 
Brown  creepers 
Brown  thrashers 
Cat  birds 
Cedar  waxwings 
Chats 
Chebecs 

Chewinks  (tohee) 
Chickadees 
Chimney  swifts 
Cow  birds 
Crows 
Cuckoos 
Doves 
Gold        finches       (yellow 

birds) 
Golden  crowned  kinglets 
Grackles       (purple      and 

bronze) 


Birds 
Hawks 

Humming  birds 
Indigo  birds 
Juneos 
King  birds 
King  fishers 
Martins 

Maryland  yellowthroat 
Meadow  larks 
Night  Hawks 
Nut  hatches  (red  breasted 

and  white  breasted) 
Orioles 
Ospreys 
Ovenbirds 
Owls 
Pewees 
Phebe  birds 
Purple  finches  (linnets) 
Quails 
Rails 
Red  winged  blackbirds 


NATURAL     CONDITIONS 


Redstarts 

Swallows 

Robins 

Thrushes 

Rose  breasted  grosbecks 

Vieros 

Ruffed  grouse 

Warblers    (myrtle,    chest 

Sand  pipers 

nut  sided,  etc.) 

Scarlet  tanagers 

Whip-poor-wills 

Shrikes  (butcher  birds) 

Woodpeckers 

Snow  buntings 

Wrens 

Sparrows 

Waders 

Bitterns 

Snipe 

Plovers 

Yellow  legs 

Blue  herons 

Water  Birds 

Black  ducks 

Mallard  ducks 

Grebes 

Wood  ducks 

Loons 

Being  located  on  the  line  between  Labrador  and 
the  South,  and  having  ample  resting  and  feeding 
places  in  the  lakes,  we  are  annually  visited  by 
migrating  birds.  When  a  storm  is  approaching 
from  the  northeast  myriads  of  gulls  retreat  in- 
land and  our  lakes  are  made  lively  by  these  play- 
ful habitants  of  the  deep.  The  list  of  birds  which 
we  can  claim  only  as  transient  visitors  in  addition 
to  gulls  and  terns,  would  include : 

Mergansers 

Pintail 

Red  head  ducks 


Blue  wing  teal 

Brant 

Coots 

Cormorants  (shags) 

Gadwalls  (gray  duck) 

Geese 

Golden  eye  (whistlers) 

Green  wing  teal 


Shelldrakes 
South     Southerlys 

Squaws) 
Spoonbills 
Widgeon 


(Old 


8  HISTORY    OF    CAEVER 

Crows,  blue  jays,  juncos,  meadow  larks,  quails, 
ruffed  grouse,  chickadees,  woodpeckers,  bald 
eagles,  tree  sparrows  and  occasional  robins  are 
year  around  birds. 

The  town  is  noted  for  its  growth  of  lumber, 
soft  pine,  cedar  and  oak  being  staple  products 
down  to  the  20th  century,  and  it  is  evident  this 
growth  must  have  been  gigantic  before  its  settle- 
ment. In  digging  ditches  in  the  process  of  bog 
construction  charcoal  has  been  found  imbedded 
three  feet  below  the  surface,  indicating  the  growth 
of  timber  and  also  the  prevalence  of  forest  fires 
in  pre-historic  times.  In  point  of  commercial 
value  the  oak  takes  third  place  being  preceded 
only  by  white  pine  and  cedar.  South  Meadow 
cedar  swamp  comprising  about  one  thousand 
acres;  Doty's  swamp.  New  Meadows  swamp  and 
other  smaller  patches  were  dense  with  a  virgin 
growth  in  memory  of  those  now  living,  while  many 
acres  of  original  growth  of  white  pine  has  been 
cut  in  the  memory  of  the  present  generation.  The 
early  records  mention  large  whitewood  trees,  but 
this  species,  if  it  has  prevailed  in  the  past,  has 
become  extinct.  The  following  species  have  been 
and  are  now  thriving: 

White  pine,  cedar,  oaks,  pitch  pine,  maples,  hem- 
lock, white  birch,  black  birch,  hornbeam,  poplar, 
cherry,  locust,  sassafras,  elm,  willow  and  beech. 

The  attractions  of  nature  are  perpetual.  No 
snow  so  deep  that  the  pines  and  cedars  do  not 
wave  their  green  branches  above  it;  no  winter 
so  bleak  as  to  hide  the  beauties  of  the  holly,  the 
laurels  and  winterberries.    The  scrub-oak  hills  of 


NATURAL    CONDITIONS 


sand  are  famous  for  trailing  arbutus  that  appears 
even  before  the  snow  has  left  the  valleys,  and  in 
no  clime  or  soil  do  the  water  lilies,  sabbatias, 
goldenrods  and  asters  reach  a  more  perfect  state 
of  development.  In  the  season  the  swamps  are 
fragrant  with  the  blossoms  of  the  honeysuckle  and 
sweet  pepper  bush,  and  the  variegated  autumn 
leaves  clothe  the  driveways  and  hills  with  in- 
describable beauty. 

That  this  town  has  its  share  of  the  decorations 
that  give  inspiration  to  country  scenery,  the  fol- 
lowing list,  still  incomplete,  may  testify : 


White 


Alder   (smooth) 

Arrowhead  (sagittaria) 

Arrow  woods 

Asters 

Baneberry 

Bay  berry 

Bearberry  (mountain 
cranberry) 

Beech  plum 

Black  alder  (winterberry) 

Blackberry 

Black  huckleberry 

Blueberry 

Bunchberry 

Button  bush 

Cat  brier 

Checkerberry  (winter- 
green) 

Choke  berry 

Cinquefoil 

Clover 


Creeping  snowberry 
Dangleberry 
Dodder 
Elderberry 
Evening  lychris 
False  Solomon's  seal 
False  spikenard 
Floating  heart 
Gall  of  the  earth 
Gold  thread 
Goldenrod 
Holly 

Indian  pipe 
Inkberry 
Lady's  tobacco 
Lady's  tresses  ' 

Leather  leaf 
Mayweed 
Meadow  rue 
Meadow  sweet 
Mountain  holly 


10 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


Mountain  laurel 

Night  flowering  catch  fly 

Ox-eyed  daisy 

Partridge  vine 

Pearl  everlasting 

Plantain 

Queen  Anne 's  lace 

Rattlesnake  plantain 

Rattlesnake  root 

Shad  bush  (wild  pear) 

Shinleaf 

Snapwood 

Spotted  wintergreen 

Star  flower 

Swamp     honeysuckle 

(azalia) 
Swamp  huckleberry 
Sweet  everlasting 
Sweet  fern 


Sweet  gale 

Sweet  pepper  bush 

Thoroughwort 

Trillium  (painted) 

Turtle  head 

Viburnum 

Virgin's  bower 

Water  cress 

Water  lily 

White  fringed  orchis 

White  violet 

Wild  lily  of  the  valley 

Wild  sarsaparilla 

Wild  strawberry 

Wind  flower  (anemone) 

Wintergreen  (pipsissiwa) 

Withwood 

Yarrow 


Yellow 


Bellwort 

Black  eyed  Susan 
Butter  and  Eggs 
Buttercup 
Cinquefoil 

Common  St.  John's  wort 
Cynthia  (dwarf  dande- 
lion) 
Dandelion 
Fall  Dandelion 
Evening  primrose 
Gerardia 
Golden  aster 
Golden  ragwort 
Goldenrod 


Hawk  weed 

Hedge  hyssop 

Horned  bladderwort 

Indian  cueumberroot 

Jewel  weed 

Loose  strife 

Marsh  marigold 

Moth  mullein 

Mullein 

Mustard 

Poverty  grass 

Purslane 

Stick  tight 

Sundrop 

Tansv 


NATUEAL     CONDITIONS 


11 


Toad  flax 
Wild  indigo 
"Wild  parsnip 
Wild  sunflower 
Wild  yellow  wood  sorrel 
(oxalis) 


Witch  hazel 
Yellow  clover 
Yellow  eyed  grass 
Yellow  pond  lily 
Yellow  Star  grass 


Pink 


Amphibeoiis  knot  weed 

Arbutus 

Arethusia 

Bouncing  Bet 

Burdock 

Bush  clover 

Calopogon 

Clover 

Common  milkweed 

Cranberry 

Dogbane 

Fireweed 

Hog  peanut 

Joe-pye-weed 

Eoiotweed  (polyganella) 

Lions  heart 

Marsh  St.  Johnswort 

Meadow  Beauty 

Milkwort 


Moccasin  flower 

^Motherwort 

Musk  Mallow 

Coreopsis 

Fleabane 

Pogonia 

Purple  geradia 

Rhodora 

Round  leaved  mallow 

Sabbatia  (sea  pink) 

Sheep  laurel 

Steeple  bush 

Sundew 

Sweet  briar  rose 

Swamp  loose  strife 

Tick  trefoil 

Wild  rose 

Yarrow 


Aster 

Bird-foot  violet 

Blue  curls 

Blue  eyed  grass 

Bluets 

Blue  flag  (Iris) 


Blue  or  Purple 

Blue  toad  flax 

Blue  Vervain  (verbena) 

Catnip 

Common  speedwell 

Cow  vetch 

Common  violet 


12 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


Gill-over-the-ground 
Indian  tobacco 
Iron  weed 
Lobelia  (water) 
Lupine 

Mad  dog's  skull  cap 
Meadow  violet 
Pennyroyal 


Cardinal  flower 
Pitcher  plant 


Peppermint 

Pickerel  weed 

Robin's  plantain 

Self  heal 

Sheep's  bit 

Spiderwort 

Thistle 

Venus'  looking  glass 


Red 


Wood  lily 


Green  or  Greenish  White 


Cow  wheat 

Dock 

Grape  (wild) 

Horse  radish 

Poison  sumach 

Weeds : 

Carpet  weed 
Chick  weed 
Ground  cherry 
Goosefoot 
Pig  weed 
Pin  weed 


Poison  ivy 
Staghorn 
Virginia    creeper 

bine) 

Pipewort 

Sandwort 

Trumble  weed 

Velvet  weed 
Wild  pepper  grass 


( wood- 


Butterfly  weed 
Cypress  spurge 
Cat-tail 
Ground  nut 
Hoary  pea 
Jack-in-the-pulpit 
Lousewort 


Miscellaneous 

Liveforever 

Rabbits  foot  clover 

Scouring  rush 

Sweet  flag 

Skunk  cabbage 

South  Sea  water  bubble 

Trumpet  honeysuckle 


INDIANS 

Unfortunately  our  main  source  of  knowledge  of 
our  predecessors  on  this  soil  is  founded  on  tra- 
dition, which  is  often  a  libelous  story,  for  the 
human  mind  is  not  apt  to  minimize  an  event  that 
struck  terror  to  its  infant  conceptions.  No 
voice  of  the  Pawtuxets  comes  down  to  us  in  litera- 
ture, none  of  their  architecture  stands  as  a  monu- 
ment to  their  art,  yet  we  have  many  silent  re- 
minders of  their  handiwork.  A  walk  around  the 
shores  of  our  lakes,  or  across  some  newly  plowed 
field,  is  frequently  rewarded  by  some  arrow  head, 
pestle  or  war  club  upturned  from  its  resting  place. 
Thousands  of  these  mementos  are  scattered 
through  our  homes  and  too  often  perhaps  not  fully 
appreciated  for  these  are  the  only  tokens  that  link 
our  civilization  with  the  lives  of  the  children  of 
nature  that  once  inhabited  this  region. 

And  when  we  read  of  the  cruelties  of  the  Indians 
it  is  well  to  remember  that  this  is  the  white  man 's 
story.  The  red  man  is  silent.  And  lest  we  be 
unduly  impressed  with  our  own  case  we  may  recall 
that  in  1698  the  white  man  placed  a  bounty  of 
fifty  pounds  on  the  scalp  of  an  adult  Indian  and 
ten  pounds  on  the  scalp  of  a  child  under  ten. 
Five  years  later  the  sport  of  hunting  and  scalp- 
ing children  was  abolished,  while  the  practice  of 
capturing  them  alive  and  selling  them  as  slaves 

13 


14  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

was  substituted.  Thus  was  the  process  of  ex- 
terminating an  inferior  race  turned  to  a  source 
of  profit  to  its  superiors. 

There  were  no  Indians  permanently  located  in 
the  limits  of  the  future  town  of  Carver  in  1620 
or  thereafter  although  roving  bands  strolled 
through  the  region  occasionally.  This  rendered 
settlements  hazardous  and  one  Ephraim  Tinkham 
who  had  squatted  near  Lakenham  in  1650  was 
warned  that  unless  he  returned  within  the  danger 
line  he  could  expect  no  protection  from  the 
Colony. 

After  the  close  of  King  Philip's  war  Indians 
who  settled  here,  with  certain  exceptions,  enjoyed 
the  rights  conferred  upon  the  whites,  and  their 
rights  were  looked  after  by  Commissioners  ap- 
pointed by  the  Governor.  In  1702-03  the  town  of 
Plymouth  voted  a  grant  of  land  to  Samuel 
Sonnett,  an  Indian,  and  his  wife,  Dorothy.  This 
land,  forming  the  basis  of  the  Indian  lands  in 
Carver,  was  located  on  the  southerly  side  of 
Sampson's  pond,  and  bounds  and  measurements 
not  being  definite,  it  must  have  included  consid- 
erably more  than  the  area  named,  for  it  took  in  all 
the  land  between  the  Casey  swamp  and  the  pond, 
and  extended  from  the  Indian  lot,  so-called,  to 
Sampson's  brook.  The  bounds  were  more 
definitely  established  two  years  later  by  Surveyor 
William  Shurtleff.  The  only  incumbrance  was 
the  general  law  providing  that  land  of  Indians 
should  not  be  sold  without  a  permit  from  the 
General  Court.  Under  the  conditions  of  the  vote 
the  grantee  and  his  heirs  were  guaranteed  the 


INDIANS  15 

right  to  fish  in  the  ponds  and  streams  and  to 
gather  tar  and  turpentine  on  the  common  lands. 
The  Seipets  appear  in  town  a  few  years  later, 
possibly  marrying  into  the  Sonnett  family. 
Bartlett  Murdock,  who  had  inherited  the  farm  on 
the  east  side  of  the  pond,  employed  one  of  these 
Seipet  boys,  who  seems  to  have  been  endowed  with 
the  traditional  cunning  of  his  race.  Among  the 
anecdotes  that  illustrate  the  character  of  the  boy  is 
one  that  concerns  the  time  when  the  South  Meet- 
ing house  was  erected.  The  building  had  been 
framed  and  raised,  when  Murdock  was  horrified 
one  early  morning  on  beholding  his  Indian  boy 
climbing  carelessly  over  the  skeleton.  Ascending 
to  the  plate  by  the  ladder,  he  walked  up  one  of 
the  outside  rafters,  thence  the  entire  length  of 
the  ridge-pole,  and  down  another  rafter  to  the 
plate,  from  which  he  skipped  nimbly  to  the 
ground.  On  another  occasion  young  Seipet  was 
sent  out  on  an  early  morning  to  bring  in  a  yoke 
of  oxen  for  the  day's  work.  His  return  was  not 
expected  promptly,  for  cattle  ran  at  large  and 
often  strayed  a  long  ways  from  the  clearing ;  but 
not  returning  late  in  the  afternoon,  Murdock  be- 
came alarmed  and  started  out  on  horseback  to 
learn  the  fate  of  his  trusted  employee.  After 
covering  a  long  distance  he  met  Seipet  returning 
with  his  cattle  and  with  a  good  excuse  for  his 
tardiness.  He  had  traced  the  oxen  as  far  as 
Cranebrook  pond,  a  distance  of  five  miles,  and  as 
the  ground  was  crossed  and  counter-crossed  by 
cattle  tracks,  the  master  asked  how  he  had  fol- 
lowed the  track,  for  in  Murdock 's  eve  there  was 


16  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

no  difference  between  the  tracks  of  his  own  oxen 
and  those  of  his  neighbors.  Seipet  expressed  sur- 
prise at  the  ignorance  of  his  employer,  as  he 
replied:  **You  think  Seipet  not  know  his  own  ox 
tracks?" 

In  1780  this  land  was  owned  solely  by  the 
Seipets,  and  the  Plymouth  County  Commissioners 
were  authorized  to  sell  as  much  of  it  as  was 
necessary  to  pay  the  debts  and  give  a  comfortable 
support  to  Desire  Seipet  in  her  old  age. 
The  sale,  effected  in  1783,  transferred  a  large 
part  of  the  tract,  and  that  on  which  the 
village  of  South  Carver  now  stands,  to  Lieut. 
Thomas  Drew.  In  1810  Launa  Seipet,  also 
an  aged  woman,  resided  on  the  reservation. 
By  special  act  of  the  General  Court  she  was 
placed  in  the  care  of  the  Selectmen  of  Carver, 
and  for  her  support  another  section  of  the  Son- 
nett  land  was  sold  to  Benjamin  Ellis.  This  sale 
included  what  was  left  of  the  Indian  land  north 
of  Bodfish  Bridge  road.  It  would  appear  that 
she  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  family,  and  re- 
siding with  her  were  two  daughters,  Betsey  and 
Hannah.  Betsey  married,  but  died  childless. 
Hannah  married  Augustus  Casey,  with  whom  she 
lived  on  the  old  clearing,  where  were  born  and 
reared  Frank,  Thomas,  William,  John,  Joseph 
Young,  Augustus  Green,  Hannah  (married 
Turner),  Betsey  (married  Phillips),  and  Sarah 
(married  Jackson).  Joseph  and  Thomas  en- 
listed and  saw  service  in  the  na^^  in  the  Civil  war. 

For  the  aid  of  some  of  the  Casey  heirs  other 
tracts  have  been  sold  from  the  Sonnett  land,  until 


INDIANS  17 

about  forty  acres  remain,  and  that  now  known 
as  ''The  Casey  Place." 

On  the  name  our  predecessors  gave  this  region 
we  can  only  speculate,  for  students  and  inter- 
preters of  Indian  language  differ.  By  one  it  is 
given  as  Warkinguag;  by  another  as  Mahootset. 

While  we  have  a  few  Indian  monuments  in  the 
way  of  landmarks,  their  meaning  is  veiled  in 
mystery,  and  our  efforts  towards  an  interpreta- 
tion of  them  leaves  us  still  unrewarded  regarding 
the  individual  experiences  of  the  red  men  who 
tilled  these  grounds  before  us.  Weweantic  is  in- 
terpreted as  a  wandering  stream;  Winatuxett, 
the  new  found  meadows;  Quitiquas,  the  island 
place;  Annasnapet,  the  small  shell  brook;  Swan 
Hold,  possibly  a  corruption  of  Sowhanohke, 
meaning  the  South  land;  Polypody,  a  place  of 
brakes ;   Mahutchett,  the  place  on  the  trail. 

There  are  also  many  other  names  suggestive 
of  history  or  mythology.  King  Philip's  spring 
comes  down  to  us  with  a  bloody  pedigree;  the 
Pokanet  field  sings  the  fame  of  Pokanet,  who 
prospered  as  the  slave  of  the  Shurtleffs,  and 
whose  camp  was  near  the  river  in  the  field  that 
now  bears  his  name;  Wigwam  swamp;  Indian 
burying  ground;  Indian  brook,  and  Sampson's 
pond  are  suggestive  names. 


THE  FIRST  SPECULATORS 

To  comprehend  the  ground  work  of  our  present 
structure  it  is  necessary  to  go  back  to  the  begin- 
ning and  note  through  what  various  processes  our 
ancestors  came  into  possession  of  their  land.  The 
authority  of  the  body  that  granted  it  is  not  in 
question,  and  who  owned  it  previous  to  the  white 
man's  assumption  has  no  place  in  the  calculation. 
And  so  in  our  own  language  our  history  begins 
in  the  year  1620. 

The  first  land  system  of  the  Colonists  consisted 
in  parceling  out  the  land  at  the  opening  of  the 
season,  but  this  method  so  soon  gave  rise  to  dis- 
satisfaction that  in  1624  permanent  grants  began 
to  be  made,  and  as  the  Colony  grew  the  home- 
seekers  began  to  branch  out  into  the  wilderness. 
While  the  town  of  Plymouth  was  never  formally 
incorporated,  its  corporate  life  dates  from  1636, 
and  the  region  now  within  the  limits  of  the  town 
of  Carver,  being  in  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Pil- 
grim town,  all  land  grants  of  this  territory  were 
made  by  the  town  of  Plymouth. 

Connecting  the  Indian  village  of  Pawtuxet  with 
Agawam  and  Nemasket  were  the  two  trails,  Aga- 
wam  path  and  Nemasket  path.  The  former  lead- 
ing over  barren  hills  offered  no  attractions  to  the 
home-seekers,  but  the  latter  leading  through 
fertile  valleys,  over  running  brooks  and  waving 

19 


20  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

meadows,  early  caught  the  eye  of  the  hardy  souls 
that  were  crowded  out  of  the  settlement.  Begin- 
ning in  1637  and  ending  with  the  incorporation  of 
the  town  of  Plympton,  all  of  the  land  now  in 
Plympton  and  Carver  was  granted  by  the  mother 
town. 

The  marsh  meadows  were  the  chief  attraction, 
and  many  of  the  grants  were  of  the  meadows 
alone,  the  grantees  holding  their  residences  in 
Plymouth.  These  grants  were  located  at  South 
Meadows,*  Doty's  meadows,  Six-Mile  brook, 
Mahutchett,  Swan  Hold,  Beaver  Dam  brook, 
and  Crane  brook.  By  the  end  of  the  period  sev- 
eral settlements  had  been  made. 

The  first  to  take  the  Nemasket  path  was  John 
Derby,  who  in  1637  took  up  a  claim  of  sixty  acres 
at  Mounts  hill,  near  the  little  lake  that  later  be- 
came known  as  Derby  pond.  The  following  year 
he  was  joined  by  Thurston  Clark,  Edward  Doty 
and  George  Moore,  while  Stephen  Hopkins  went 
still  further  into  the  woods  and  took  a  grant  at 
Six-Mile  brook.  It  is  probable  that  this  grant  of 
Doty's  was  the  first  grant  of  land  within  the 
municipal  limits  of  Carver,  although  the  grant  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  in  1637-38  to  John 
Jenney  on  either  side  of  the  brook  was  the  germ 
of  this  town  in  the  woods.    By  the  terms  of  this 


*The  term  South  Meadows  originally  included  all  of  the 
meadow  land  on  the  Weweantic  river  from  Swan  Holt  to  Rochester, 
the  lower  meadows  being  referred  to  as  the  Lower  SoutH 
Meadows.  The  name  was  afterwards  applied  to  the  village  of 
Centre  Carver,  which  was  known  by  no  other  name  up  to  the  time 
of  the  Civil  war. 


THE    FIRST     SPECULATORS  21 

grant  it  was  constituted  a  farm  within  the  juris- 
diction of  Plymouth  and  to  be  known  as  Laken- 
ham. 

The  bounds  of  Plymouth  were  not  definitely 
located  until  after  the  end  of  this  period.  A  court 
order  of  1640  adjusting  the  bounds  between 
Plymouth  and  Sandwich  provided  that  "the 
bounds  should  extend  so  far  up  into  the  woodland 
-as  to  include  the  South  Meadows  towards 
Agawam,  lately  discovered,  and  the  convenient 
upland  thereto."  For  many  years  the  western 
bounds  were  in  dispute,  and  various  conferences 
with  the  Proprietors  of  South  Purchase  were 
necessary  before  the  dividing  line  was  definitely 
established. 

Nor  were  the  individual  grants  definitely  lo- 
cated and  described.  The  records  are  evidence 
of  the  fact  that  many  of  the  grants  included  a 
much  larger  area  than  their  terms  would  indicate, 
and  also  of  the  frequent  disputes  among  individ- 
ual grantees  over  ranges.  In  the  latter  part  of 
the  period  town  surveyors  were  annually  elected, 
who  were  kept  busy  making  surveys  of  earlier 
grants  and  placing  their  surveys  on  record. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  resurvey  some  of  these 
grants  from  the  recorded  descriptions.  The  heap 
of  stones  and  the  red  oak  tree  have  long  since 
passed  from  the  stage,  but  out  of  these  humble 
beginnings  has  grown  our  more  exact  method, 
and  petty  disputes,  though  not  unknown,  are  not 
as  frequent  as  of  old. 

The  main  grants  before  the  year  1640,  in  addi- 
tion to  those  previously  mentioned,  were  to  John 


22  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Pratt,  at  Wenham;  Bridget  Fuller,  at  Doty's; 
Jolm  Barnes,  at  Six-Mile  brook  (including  up- 
land) ;  John  Dunham,  at  Swan  Hold  (including 
upland) ;  Eichard  Sparrow  and  John  Atwood,  at 
Lakenham ;  and  Goodman  Watson,  George  Bonum 
and  Andrew  Ring,  at  South  Meadows. 

During  the  succeeding  forty  years  grants  of 
various  dimensions  were  made  along  the  South 
Meadow  river  to  Andrew  Ring,  Abraham  Jack- 
son, Jonathan  Shaw,  William  Nelson,  George 
Bonum,  Ephraim  Tinkham,  Lieut.  Morton, 
William  Harlow,  Nathaniel  Morton,  Hugh  Cole, 
Joseph  Bartlett,  John  Cole,  Daniel  Dunham, 
Jolin  Fflallowel,  Samuel  Doty,  John  Lucas,  John 
Jourdan,  John  Waterman,  John  Barrows,  Na- 
thaniel Wood,  William  Ring,  Jonathan  Barnes, 
Benony  Lucas,  Samuel  Harlow,  Richard  Cooper, 
Ephraim  Tillson,  Thomas  Pope  and  George  Wat- 
son; at  Lakenham  to  John  Rickard,  James  Cole, 
Jonathan  Shaw,  Robert  Ransom,  George  Watson^ 
Daniel  Ramsden  and  Benejah  Pratt;  at  Doty's 
to  Thomas  Lettuce,  John  Rickard,  Gyles  Rickard, 
Jr.,  and  John  Pratt;  at  Mahutchett  to  Ephraim 
Tillson,  William  Haskins  and  Peter  Risse;  at 
John's  pond  to  Samuel  Savery;  at  Beaver  Dam 
brook  to  George  Watson ;  and  at  Wenham  to  John 
Dunham. 

By  the  dawn  of  the  18th  century  the  pioneers 
had  a  well  established  system  of  farms;  grants 
were  enlarged  to  take  in  nearly  all  of  the  upland, 
and  the  tide  of  population  set  in. 

Before  1705  grants  at  Swan  Hold  were  made 
to  Joseph  Dunham,  John  Pratt,  Nathaniel  Dun- 


THE    FIRST     SPECULATORS  23 

ham,  Micager  Dunham,  Benejah  Pratt,  Jeduthen 
Eobbins,  Eleazer  Pratt,  Joseph  Pratt,  Joseph 
Dunham,  Sr.,  and  Abial  Shurtleff.  These  grantees 
were  also  given  authority  to  construct  a  dam 
for  flowing  their  meadows.  Small  tracts  were 
granted  at  Popes  Point  to  Joseph  Churchill, 
George  Morton  and  Edmund  Tillson,  while  land 
formerly  of  George  Watson  was  better  described 
for  the  benefit  of  his  grandson,  Jonathan  Shaw. 
Land  that  had  been  granted  to  Abraham  Jackson, 
William  Harlow  and  George  Morton  in  New 
Meadows  in  1698  was  also  more  definitely  de- 
scribed. 

As  these  years  mark  the  end  of  the  individual 
grants  by  the  town  of  Plymouth,  and  the  grantees 
had  reached  the  point  where  they  would  break 
away  from  the  parent  town  of  the  Old  Colony, 
it  is  well  to  note  how  their  destinies  were  swayed 
by  two  important  events  of  the  first  century.  The 
first  settlers  of  Plymouth  were  kept  within  a  lim- 
ited area  on  account  of  marauding  bands  of  In- 
dians, but  after  the  spirit  of  the  natives  had  been 
broken  by  the  disastrous  ending  of  King  Philip 's 
war,  the  drawback  from  that  source  was  ended. 
And  a  few  years  later  when  the  dethronement  of 
James  II.  disposed  of  their  twin  enemy,  Sir 
Edmond  Andros,  the  Colonists  rapidly  increased 
under  their  new  charter,  meeting-houses  sprung 
up  in  the  forests,  and  New  England  entered  en- 
thusiastically upon  its  remarkable  career.  It  is 
also  well  to  remember  in  considering  these  twin 
enemies  of  the  early  colonists,  that  the  white  man 
and  the  red  man  broke  even. 


24  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

The  indivadual  grants,  mostly  of  which  have 
been  named,  with  two  general  grants  made  before 
Plympton  was  incorporated,  left  the  new  town 
without  any  common  land  in  its  jurisdiction.  The 
proprietors  of  the  cedar  swamp,  as  also  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  rest  of  the  common  land,  hence- 
forth had  jurisdiction  in  the  division  of  these 
lands.  A  large  portion  of  this  common  tract  was 
located  in  the  future  town  of  Carver,  consisting 
of  the  cedar  swamp  and  the  land  south  of  it  as 
far  west  as  the  easterly  shore  of  Sampson's  pond. 
It  included  about  one-fourth  of  the  modern  town 's 
area. 

At  a  town  meeting  in  Plymouth  in  1701-02  an 
ordinance  was  passed  dividing  the  cedar  swamp,* 
and  Jacob  Thompson  was  chosen  surveyor  to 
make  the  division  with  John  Bradford  and  Samuel 
Sturtevant  as  assistants.  Under  the  provisions 
of  the  ordinance  every  freeholder  was  to  have  a 
share;  every  male  child  born  in  the  town  who 
had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  and  who  re- 
sided in  town  one-half  of  a  share;  any  resident 
who  succeeded  an  original  proprietor,  one  share, 
unless  said  proprietor  left  a  son;  children  to  in- 
herit a  share  if  the  father  was  entitled  to  one; 
but  under  no  conditions  should  anyone  hold  more 
than  one  share.  Non-residents,  except  children 
as  above  noted,  were  prohibited    from    holding 

*This  vote  included  all  of  the  cedar  swamp  in  the  town  of 
Plymouth,  which  at  that  time  embraced  the  future  towns  of 
Plympton,  Halifax  and  Carver.  Only  the  South  Meadow  and 
Doty  swamps  were  in  the  future  Carver,  which  accounts  for  the 
omission  of  Great  Lots  19,  20  and  21  in  this  story. 


A  COENER  ON  HEMLOCK  ISLAND 


THE    FIRST     SPECULATORS  25 

shares  unless  being  tlie  owner  of  at  least  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  tillage  land  occupied  by  a  tenant. 

As  this  tract  had  so  long  been  utilized  as 
common  property,  this  vote  to  end  the  custom 
provoked  a  contest  that  could  not  be  avoided 
by  a  town  vote.  Committees  were  named 
to  watch  poachers ;  any  proprietor  convicted 
of  cutting  cedars  pending  the  division  for- 
feited his  claim;  and  any  poacher  not  being 
a  proprietor  "was  to  pay  a  fine  of  twenty 
shillings  for  each  tree.  While  the  plan  looked 
well  on  paper,  the  surveyor  was  in  a  sea  of  con- 
stant commotion.  Some  lots  were  better  located 
than  others ;  some  had  a  superior  growth ;  every 
proprietor  had  a  choice ;  and  it  was  several  years 
before  the  division  was  made  among  the  proprie- 
tors, while  the  disputes  had  not  ended  two  cen- 
turies later. 

Under  the  Thompson  plan  the  swamp  was  di- 
vided into  eighteen  Great  Lots,  and  these  Great 
Lots  subdivided  in  the  process  of  division  among 
the  proprietors.  Great  Lots  were  intended  to 
contain  forty  acres  each,  but  they  were  not 
symmetrical  in  shape.  Some  began  at  a  common 
point  and  extended  in  long  triangles  across  the 
swamp;  some  were  generally  rectangular,  and 
others  cannot  be  described  in  geometrical  terms. 
It  would  seem  to  a  modern  engineer  that  the 
swamp  could  have  been  divided  with  more  regu- 
larity, but  the  ragged  general  form  of  the  tract 
without  including  upland  presented  a  problem 
that  taxed  the  civil  engineering  of  the  times. 


26  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

There  was  still  a  greater  disparity  in  the  shape 
and  size  of  the  subdivisions.  It  is  apparent  that 
the  surveyor  placed  a  broad  interpretation  on  the 
terms  of  his  instructions  and  undertook  to 
equalize  the  disparity  in  values  by  varying  the 
size  and  form  of  the  lots. 

In  1828  Sylvanus  Bourne  resurveyed  the  swamp 
and  pointed  out  inconsistencies  in  the  Thompson 
plan,  and  filed  a  plan  of  his  own.  Modern  sur- 
veyors consult  both  plans  as  a  basis  of  surveys. 

Doty's  Cedar  Swamp,  situate  in  the  Northerly 
section  of  the  town,  also  came  under  the  general 
grant,  although  independent  of  the  large  swamp. 
This  was  known  as  Great  Lot  No.  22  in  the  di- 
vision. The  original  owners  were  John  Gray, 
John  Holmes,  Samuel  Eickard  and  Josiah 
Rickard. 

At  a  town  meeting  in  Plymouth,  February  9, 
1701-02,  the  following  ordinance  was  adopted : 

^'That  every  freeliolder  That  hath  ben  soe  for 
six  years  last  past  That  hath  not  had  30  ackers  of 
land  Granted  to  them  by  the  Inhabitants  of  the 
Town  within  20  years  last  past  shall  have  30 
acrees  of  land  laid  forth  to  them  out  of  the  Com- 
mons belonging  to  sd  Town  (by  the  persons  here- 
after Named  that  are  the  Towns  Committy  or 
Trustees  to  act  in  ye  Affare)  or  soe  much  land  as 
to  Make  it  up  30  acrees  with  what  they  have  al- 
ready had  Granted  to  them  sience  sd  Tirme  of 
years  &  its  further  voted  That  all  Town  born 
Children  now  Inhabitants  in  sd  Town  that  have 
been  Rated  towards  defray  publick  Charg  in  sd 
Town  for  14  years  last  past  shall  have  30  acres 


THE    FIRST     SPECULATORS  27 

apece  of  land  laid  out  to  them  out  of  sd  Town 
Comons  as  abovesd  &  that  None  shall  Take  up 
aney  Meadow  ground  or  sedor  swamps  by  vertue 
of  this  Grant  and  it  further  voted  that  every  man 
May  take  up  his  share  abovesd  as  ner  to  his  own 
land  as  may  be:  and  noe  man  shall  take  up  sd 
land  agnst  an  other  mans  Land  until  the  owner 
of  sd  land  doth  Eefuseth  it  &  if  two  men  doe  pitch 
on  one  pece  of  land  the  Committy  have  hereby 
power  to  determine  whose  it  shall  be." 

The  Committee  chosen  at  the  meeting  to  effect 
the  division  was  composed  of  Capt.  John  Brad- 
ford, Capt.  James  Warren,  Left.  Shurtlef,  Left. 
Nath;  Southworth,  Insign:  Nath:  Morton  and 
Samuel  Sturtivant. 

Before  the  town  committee  had  progressed  far 
with  the  division,  the  town  of  Plympton  was  in- 
corporated and  the  common  lands  located  in  the 
two  towns  passed  to  the  control  of  the  Proprie- 
tors, two  hundred  and  one,  who  organized  by  the 
choice  of  a  clerk  and  adopted  the  style  of  The 
Proprietors  of  Plymouth  and  Plympton  Com- 
mons. Thomas  Faunce  was  the  first  clerk,  and 
those  who  served  in  that  position  before  the  Pro- 
prietors' work  was  finished  in  1790  were  Samuel 
Bartlett,  John  Cotton  and  Eossiter  Cotton. 

At  a  general  meeting  of  the  proprietors,  Capt. 
Warren,  Benjamin  Warren,  Lieut.  Shurtleff  and 
Samuel  Lucas  were  chosen  as  surveyors  to  make 
the  division.  The  tract  was  located  in  the  Eastern 
section  of  the  present  town  of  Carver  and  the 
Southern  section  of  Plymouth.  Under  the  plan 
of  operations  as  devised  by  the  surveyors  it  was 


28  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

first  divided  into  ten  Great  Lots,  and  these  sub- 
divided. The  first  Great  Lot  was  cut  up  into  21 
small  parcels,  the  second  into  22,  the  third  into  22, 
the  fourth  into  21,  the  fifth  into  20,  the  sixth  into 
20,  the  seventh  into  19,  the  eighth  into  18,  the  ninth 
into  18,  and  the  tenth  into  20.  These  total  201 
parcels  to  be  divided  among  the  proprietors. 

The  next  step  in  the  division  was  to  assign  the 
freeholders  to  the  several  Great  Lots.  This  was 
no  small  task,  as  each  proprietor  had  a  choice  of 
position.  And  after  the  Great  Lots  had  been  as- 
signed to  the  individual  owners  the  question  of 
alloting  the  parcels  to  the  individuals  was  taken 
up  for  solution,  and  another  perplexing  problem 
faced  the  surveyors.  The  proprietors  of  each 
Great  Lot  held  meetings  by  themselves  to  draw 
for  their  parcels.  The  subdivisions  were  num- 
bered and  each  proprietor  drew  a  number  which 
in  theory  was  to  be  the  number  of  his  lot.  The 
drawings  were  not  altogether  satisfactory,  and 
time  was  extended  for  the  proprietors  to  trade, 
and  it  was  upwards  of  eighty  years  before  the 
work  of  the  proprietors  was  finished. 

The  first  Great  line  was  described  as  follows: 
**  Beginning  at  two  pine  trees  marked  numbered 
1-2  standing  at  ye  going  over  between  ye  Great 
West  pond  and  a  little  pond  at  ye  head  of  it 
rainging  East  South  East  180  rods  from  two  pine 
trees  marked  with  a  heap  of  stones  between  them 
at  Cobb  hill  by  South  Meadow  path  and  from  the 
trees  first  mentioned  the  line  extendeth  South 
15  Westerly  by  a  rainge  of  trees  to  a  maple  tree 
marked  numbered  1-2  standing  at  Pratts  meadow 


THE    FIRST     SPECULATORS  29 

and  from  thence  the  same  course  to  ye  town  line 
thence  beginning  at  the  trees  first  nmnbered  the 
line  extends  North  15  Easterly  so  far  as  to  take 
in  all  the  common  land  belonging  to  the  Proprie- 
tors and  all  ye  common  lands  lying  to  the  west- 
ward of  sd  line  to  belong  to  ye  first  lot  there  being 
twenty  one  shares  in  the  lot." 

This  was  the  line  between  the  first  and  second 
Great  Lots,  the  first  lot  comprising  all  of  the  com- 
mon land  west  of  the  line.  The  western  line  of 
the  first  great  lot  was  naturally  irregular  ac- 
cording to  the  ranges  of  former  grants.  The  pre- 
vious grants  bordering  the  first  lot  on  the  west 
were  those  at  South  Meadows,  George  Barrows, 
Sampson's  pond,  and  the  land  of  Samuel  Sonnett. 
The  final  owners  of  the  first  division  of  the  first 
great  lot  were  Samuel  Lucas,  Caleb  Loring,  Elisha 
Bradford,  Thomas  Holmes,  William  Harlow,  John 
Andros,  Benj.  Eaton,  Sr.,  Mr.  John  Eickard, 
Eleazer  Pratt,  Nathaniel  Harlow,  Nathaniel 
Jackson,  John  Pratt,  Mecager  Dunham,  John 
Jackson,  Nathaniel  Dunham,  Joshua  Ransom, 
Elkaneth  Cushman,  John  Carnes,  John  Bryant, 
Left.  William  Shurtleff  and  Mr.  John  Murdock. 

The  second  lot  fell  to  (?),  Isaac  King,  Joseph 
King,  Ephraim  Cole,  Ebenezer  Eaton,  Samuel 
Bryant,  John  Sturtevant,  Samuel  Rickard,  Jo- 
seph Bradford,  Nathaniel  Howland,  Joshua 
Pratt's  children,  Giles  Rickard,  John  Curtice, 
Elisha  Cobb,  John  Doty,  Richard  Everson,  Adam 
Write,  John  Wood,  James  Cole,  Daniel  Dunham, 
George  Barrows  and  Samuel  Wing. 


X 

O 

o 

^— 

^ 

p 

^ 

s 

^ 

P5 

<j 

Oj 

^ 

^ 

!-iH 

H 

Oj 

K 

C 

Zj 

1^ 

E- 

,cq 

X 

"^ 

w 

's 

K 

pq 

H 

A   FEW   EARLY  LAWS 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  work  to  deal  in 
general  history,  but  there  are  some  timbers  in 
the  general  structure  so  closely  related  to  local 
development  that  a  brief  review  is  justifiable. 

Our  starting  point  in  civil  government  was  in 
the  compact  signed  on  board  of  the  Mayflower 
in  Provincetown  harbor.  Li  the  wave  of  en- 
thusiasm in  which  the  Pilgrims  left  their  native 
country  they  made  no  calculation  on  the  cost  of 
the  venture,  but  before  landing  they  adjudged  it 
prudent  to  make  an  agreement  as  a  safeguard 
against  a  clashing  of  authority  that  might  jeop- 
ardize the  peace  of  the  Colony,  and  on  the  wisdom 
of  such  a  course  their  posterity  has  recorded  the 
verdict  ''they  builded  better  than  they  knew." 
And  in  our  own  day  these  words  may  be  accepted 
as  the  basis  of  all  just  governments :  *'In  ye  name 
of  God  amen.  We  whose  names  are  under-writ- 
ten, the  loyall  subjects  of  our  dread  soveraigne 
Lord,  King  James,  by  ye  grace  of  God,  of  Great 
Britaine,  Franc,  Ireland  king,  defender  of  ye 
faith,  &c.,  haveing  undertaken,  for  ye  glorie  of 
God  and  advancemente  of  ye  Christian  faith,  and 
honor  of  our  king  and  countrie,  a  voyage  to  plant 
ye  first  colonie  in  ye  Northerne  parts  of  Virginia, 
doe  by  these  presents  solemnly  and  mutualy  in  ye 
presence  of  God,  and  one  of  another,  covenant  and 
combine  our  selves  togeather  into  a  civill  body 

31 


32  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

politick,  for  our  better  ordering  and  preservation 
and  furtherance  of  ye  ends  aforesaid;  and  by 
virtue  hereof  to  enact,  constitute,  and  frame  such 
just  and  equall  laws,  ordinances,  acts,  constitu- 
tions, and  officers,  from  time  to  time,  as  shall  be 
thought  most  meete  and  convenient  for  ye  generall 
good  of  ye  colonie,  unto  which  we  promise  all  due 
submission  and  obedience."  Such  was  the  con- 
stitution of  the  Plymouth  Colony,  and  on  this 
basis  was  made  the  laws  that  governed  our  ances- 
tors until  the  union  of  the 'colonies  in  1690.  The 
leading  town  officers  under  the  compact  were 
selectmen  or  townsmen,  a  town  clerk,  constables, 
raters,  jurjTnen,  tithingmen  and  surveyors. 

Much  of  the  land  of  the  future  towns  of  Plymp- 
ton  and  Carver  was  granted  under  the  Old  Colony 
although  but  little  of  it  was  occupied.  A  few 
scattering  farms  dotted  the  tract,  and  respectable 
clusters  of  residences  appear  at  Colchester, 
Lakenham  and  Wenham,  but  the  residents  were 
all  freeholders  of  the  old  town  whence  they 
journeyed  on  town  meeting  days,  holidays,  court 
days  and  sabbaths.  It  is  not  probable  that  any 
thought  of  establishing  a  new  town  had  its  incep- 
tion before  the  union. 

The  charter  of  William  and  Mary  was  granted 
as  a  basis  for  the  government  of  the  united  New 
England  colonies,  and  as  this  charter  was  the 
foundation  for  all  laws  preceding  the  constitution 
of  the  United  States,  it  is  a  document  worthy  of 
consideration. 

In  considering  the  charter  no  comparison  should 
be  made  with  modern  theories,  but  in  comparison 


H 

.•ti 

O 

^ 

pq 

?: 

>-, 

-■^ 

^~^ 

'A 

* 

» 

Is 

M 

>■ 

fH 

■^ 

Ph 

^ 

o 

'TS 

H 

A   FEW    EARLY   LAWS  38 

with  contemporary  governments  it  will  be  found 
to  be  liberal.  And  when  we  notice  that  liberty  of 
conscience  was  guaranteed  to  all  sects  except 
Papists,  we  may  compare  it  with  the  chronological 
edicts  of  Louis  XIV. ;  and  perhaps  our  judgment 
would  be  tempered  by  recalling  that  the  charter 
was  granted  by  a  king  and  queen  who  had  just 
ascended  the  throne  through  a  revolution  and  the 
passions  engendered  had  not  abated.  Even  at 
that  moment  the  exiled  Stuart  was  intriguing  to 
worm  his  way  back  to  the  throne  from  which  he 
had  been  ejected  by  the  uprising  of  his  subjects. 

Under  this  instrument,  the  executive  authority 
was  vested  in  a  Governor  and  a  Lieutenant 
Governor  appointed  by  the  crown,  advised  and 
assisted  by  twenty-eight  councillors  or  assistants. 

The  law  making  power  was  vested  in  the  Gov- 
ernor and  Council,  and  two  representatives  from 
each  town  elected  by  the  property  holding  free- 
holders. To  this  legislative  body  was  given  the 
name  of  the  Great  and  General  Court,  and  after 
its  organization  it  was  vested  with  authority  for 
the  annual  election  of  the  twenty-eight  council- 
lors, also  of  regulating  the  number  of  repre- 
sentatives to  which  each  County,  Town  or  place 
should  be  entitled. 

Sheriffs,  provost  marshals.  Justices  of  the 
Peace,  Judges  of  Oyer  and  Terminer,  were  ap- 
pointed by  the  Governor  by  and  with  the  consent 
of  the  Council;  probate  matters,  including  the 
appointment  of  executors  and  administrators, 
were  left  with  the  Governor  and  Council.  The 
acts  of  incorporation  of  towns  and  parishes  under 


34  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

preceding  governments,  with  certain  limitations, 
were  confirmed,  and  the  adoption  of  laws  govern- 
ing local  affairs  rested  with  the  General  Court. 

Appeals  could  be  had  from  the  judgments  of 
the  courts,  and  also  from  the  decrees  of  the 
Governor,  to  the  crown.  The  Governor  held  the 
power  of  proroguing  the  General  Court  at  any 
time,  and  the  Court  could  not  legally  adjourn  for 
more  than  two  days  at  a  time,  without  his  consent. 
The  crown  held  the  veto  power  over  both  the 
Governor  and  the  General  Court. 

The  authority  of  the  Governor  to  prorogue  the 
General  Court,  and  the  veto  power  held  by  the 
crown,  were  the  cause  of  no  little  clashing  of 
authority  in  after  years,  but  under  the  charter 
the  colonies  developed  rapidly,  both  in  numbers 
and  prerogatives,  and  when  they  reached  'the 
point  of  abolishing  the  veto  power  the  tie  that 
held  them  to  the  mother  country  was  represented 
by  a  brittle  cord.  And  even  after  the  rebellious 
colonies  had  won  the  right  to  legislate  for  them- 
selves, unhampered  by  any  veto  power  from 
across  the  sea,  they  founded  their  liberties  in  the 
forms,  regulations  and  theories  that  had  grown 
up  under  the  charter. 

The  democratic  theory  of  permitting  each 
locality  to  control  its  domestic  affairs  was  recog- 
nized by  the  charter  and  the  adoption  of  laws 
regulating  local  affairs  was  the  subject  of  the 
constant  consideration  of  the  General  Court.  The 
recognition  of  this  theory  eventually  led  to  the 
Eevolution,  for  as  each  colony  added  to  its 
prerogatives  it  became  jealous  of  outside  interfer- 


A   FEW   EARLY   LAWS  35 

ence,  and  bound  together  by  this  theory,  they 
combated  for  the  principle  in  war. 

In  November,  1692,  before  providing  for  town 
governments,  the  General  Court  made  provision 
for  ministers  and  school  masters,  making  it  com- 
pulsory upon  towns  to  provide  themselves  with 
''an  able,  learned  orthodox  minister  of  good  con- 
versation to  dispense  the  word  of  God  to  them," 
also  a  school  master  to  ''teach  children  and  youth 
to  read  and  write,"  both  to  be  supported  by  a 
town  tax.  'The  same  month  the  New  England 
town  meeting  was  confirmed,  each  town  being  re- 
quired to  hold  an  annual  town  meeting  in  the 
month  of  March  for  the  election  of  town  officers 
and  the  transaction  of  town  atfairs.  The  neces- 
sary officers  consisted  of  a  board  of  three,  five, 
seven  or  nine  selectmen  or  townsmen,  a  town 
clerk,  constables,  surveyors  of  highways,  tithing- 
men,  fence  viewers,  clerk  of  the  market,  and  a 
sealer  of  leather.  The  Selectmen  served  as  over- 
seers of  the  poor  unless  a  separate  board  was 
chosen,  also  as  assessors.  Their  warrant  was 
committed  to  a  constable  and  required  him  to  col- 
lect and  pay  to  the  Selectmen  or  their  agent. 

In  order  to  be  eligible  for  a  place  on  the  Board 
of  Selectmen  the  candidate  must  "be  able  and 
discreet,  of  good  conversation,"  and  a  freeholder 
must  have  property  to  the  amount  of  twenty 
pounds  to  entitle  him  to  vote.  The  duty  of  a 
clerk  of  the  market  required  him  to  visit,  at  least 
once  a  week,  the  bakeshops  to  guard  against  the 
selling  of  short  weight  loaves.  The  price  of  wheat 
was  regulated  by  the  Selectmen,  and  the  size  of 


36  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

the  loaf  accordingly.  The  sealer  or  searcher  of 
leather  was  a  busy  officer  under  compulsion  to  in- 
spect and  seal  all  leather  tanned  in  his  jurisdic- 
tion. 

Towns  were  authorized  to  make  by-laws  regu- 
lating their  affairs  and  subject  to  the  approval  of 
the  court  in  quarter  sessions ;  they  must  perambu- 
late their  town  lines  once  in  three  years ;  Select- 
men must  see  that  there  were  no  loafers  in  town, 
and  if  any  child  or  other  person  was  found  mis- 
spending his  time  he  must  be  sent  to  the  House 
of  Correction  there  to  receive  ten  lashes  on  the 
bare  back;  the  Selectmen  were  vested  with 
authority  to  "bind  out"  minors;  and  anyone 
enjoying  the  hospitality  of  the  town  three  months 
unquestioned,  obtained  a  settlement.  In  the  case 
of  an  undesirable  citizen  the  constable  ordered  the 
person  out  of  town,  and  in  the  event  of  a  refusal 
to  move,  the  person  was  taken  by  force  to  the 
place  of  last  abode. 

Every  male  resident  between  the  age  of  sixteen 
and  sixty,  with  certain  exceptions  was  forced  into 
the  militia,  and  under  statute  compulsion  to  attend 
all  musters  and  exercises  of  his  company.  All 
persons  liable  were  subject  to  being  called  to  duty 
in  times  of  danger  and  they  were  expected  to  have 
their  equipment  ready  at  all  times.  The  equip- 
ment which  every  one  liable  to  military  duty  was 
under  compulsion  to  provide  for  himself,  con- 
sisted of  a  firelock  musket  with  the  barrel  not  less 
than  three  and  one-half  feet  in  length,  a  snapsack, 
a  colar  with  twelve  bandeleers  or  cartouch  box, 
one  pound  of  good  powder,  twenty  bullets,  twelve 


A   FEW    EARLY  LAWS  37 

flints,  a  sword  or  cutlass  and  a  worm  and  prim- 
ing wire. 

Regimental  musters  were  required  once  in  three 
years,  and  company  musters  four  days  in  each 
year,  while  the  Captain  of  a  company  must  can- 
vass twice  a  year  to  see  that  the  regulations  were 
complied  with.  Towns  must  keep  their  military 
stores  based  upon  one  barrel  of  powder,  two  hun- 
dred pounds  of  bullets  and  three  hundred  flints 
for  each  sixteen  persons  in  town  subject  to 
military  duty. 

A  system  of  alarm  for  calling  out  the  militia  in 
times  of  sudden  danger:  three  guns  called  out 
the  militia  and  a  penalty  awaited  anyone  who 
neglected  to  report  promptly  at  the  training  green 
when  the  alarm  was  sounded.  As  a  safeguard 
against  oppression  no  Captain  should  quarter  a 
soldier  or  seaman  on  a  private  resident  without 
the  resident's  consent  under  penalty;  and  the 
militia  could  not  be  sent  out  of  the  Colony  with- 
out their  consent,  or  the  consent  of  the  Greneral 
Court. 

The  lower  court  was  called  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas,  and  made  up  of  at  least  three  of  the 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  the  County.  The  next 
higher  court  consisting  of  all  of  the  Justices  of 
the  Peace  for  the  County,  was  known  as  the  Court 
of  Quarter  Sessions,  or  Sessions  of  the  Peace. 
Appeals  from  these  courts  were  to  the  Superior 
Court  of  Judicature  with  jurisdiction  over  all  the 
province  and  made  up  of  one  Chief  Justice  and 
four  associate  Justices  appointed  by  the  Governor 
and  Council. 


38  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

The  reckless  method  of  granting  and  staking  out 
land — perhaps  mainly  through  the  unscientific 
method  of  surveys — called  for  legislation.  The 
first  act  for  the  quieting  of  possessions  provided 
that  the  possession  dating  previous  to  October  19, 
1652,  and  not  questioned  before  May  20,  1662, 
should  be  sufficient  title;  while  three  years  un- 
questioned possession  from  October  1, 1692,  should 
constitute  a  sufficient  warranty.  An  exception 
clause  gave  infants,  persons  non  compos  mentis, 
and  those  in  prison  or  captivity  three  years  extra 
in  which  to  prove  a  claim ;  while  persons  beyond 
the  seas  had  seven  years  of  grace.  The  privy 
council  objected  to  this  act  for  the  reasons  that 
the  rights  of  the  crown  were  not  protected  and 
further  that  the  time  of  three  years  was  insuf- 
ficient. To  meet  these  objections,  the  act  was 
amended  saving  the  rights  of  the  crown  and 
requiring  unquestioned  possession  from  October  1, 
1692,  to  October  1,  1704,  necessary  to  guarantee 
possession  to  the  holder  or  those  claiming  under 
him. 

Statutes  were  enacted  in  1692  and  1693. 

Establishing  and  guaranteeing  trial  by  jury. 

Establishing  weights  and  measures. 

Eequiring  intentions  of  marriage  to  be  posted 
in  some  conspicuous  place  at  least  two  weeks 
before  the  event. 

Establishing  habeas  corpus  proceedings. 

Establishing  6  per  cent,  as  the  legal  rate,  con- 
tracts calling  for  a  larger  rate  to  be  void. 

Establishing  post  office  rules. 

Establishing  systems  of  highway  improvements. 


A   FEW   EARLY   LAWS  39 

Thanksgiving  custom  reaffirmed. 

Hogs  running  at  large  to  be  yoked  from  April 
1st  to  October  15tli,  and  ringed  all  the  year. 

Sheep  not  to  run  at  large  unaccompanied  by  a 
shepherd. 

No  strong  liquor  to  be  sold  or  given  an  Indian. 

Idiots  and  lunatics  must  be  cared  for  by  the 
Selectmen. 

In  these  same  years : 

There  were  thirteen  crimes  punishable  by  death. 

Laws  against  witchcraft  were  adopted. 

The  exportation  of  raw  hides  was  forbidden. 

The  cord  of  marketable  wood  must  be  cut  in 
four  feet  lengths,  and  when  piled  must  be  eight 
feet  long  and  four  feet  high.  If  a  delivery  did  not 
come  up  to  these  regulations,  the  injured  party 
must  sue,  and  in  case  of  conviction  the  wood  was 
forfeited,  one-half  to  the  complainant  and  one-half 
for  the  use  of  the  town's  poor. 

The  penalty  for  one  offence  compelled  the  con- 
victed party  to  sit  upon  the  gallows  with  a  rope 
tied  around  the  neck  and  the  other  end  thrown 
over  the  gallows.  On  the  march  from  the  gallows 
to  the  jail,  he  should  be  given  not  less  than  forty 
lashes,  and  forever  after  he  must  wear  the  letter 
A  two  inches  in  length  cut  from  cloth  of  a  different 
color  than  the  clothing  either  on  an  arm,  the  back 
or  some  conspicuous  place  about  the  person.  Con- 
viction of  a  neglect  in  wearing  the  letter  was 
punishable  with  fifteen  lashes. 

Inn  holders  were  licensed,  and  regulations 
governing  them  adopted : 

Lodgings  and  a  supply  of  refreshments  must 
be  constantly  on  hand. 


40  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

An  apprentice,  servant  or  negro  should  not  be 
entertained  without  an  order  from  his  master. 

No  one  should  be  permitted  to  remain  in  the  inn 
above  one  hour,  except  travellers. 

No  one  should  be  permitted  to  drink  to  excess. 

No  one  admitted  Sundays  except  travellers. 

For  any  conviction,  one-half  of  the  fine  went 
to  the  informant,  and  one-half  to  the  use  of  the 
Town's  poor. 

Inn  holders  were  required  to  furnish  bonds  with 
sureties  for  the  keeping  of  the  regulations. 

And  as  a  further  guarantee  Selectmen  were 
burdened  with  the  duty  of  seeing  that  Tythingmen 
were  annually  elected  and  qualified.  The  duty  of 
the  Tythingman  was  to  inspect  the  taverns  and 
inform  on  all  violations  of  the  laws ;  also  to  inform 
on  all  idlers,  disorderly  persons,  profane  swearers, 
Sabbath  breakers  and  law  breakers  in  general. 
The  legal  badge  adopted  for  the  Tythingman  was 
a  black  staff  two  feet  in  length  with  a  three  inch 
brass  tip  on  one  end. 

Anyone  convicted  of  receiving  stolen  goods 
from  an  Indian,  was  to  restore  the  goods  to  the 
rightful  owner  with  an  equal  amount  in  value  of 
specie,  or  if  the  goods  had  been  disposed  of,  double 
the  value  in  specie. 

This  brief  resume  covers  only  the  starting  of 
legislation  under  the  charter,  and  from  these 
beginnings  was  built  up  and  perfected,  by  repeals, 
amendments  and  additions,  the  social  system  that 
was  in  vogue  when  the  Colonies  banded  themselves 
together  for  the  purpose  of  moving  the  veto  power 
from  London  to  some  point  on  the  American  con- 


5 

m 

^ 

>^, 

5i 

_a 

in 

<5 
O 

s 

l-H 

'ot 

r— ' 

1— 1 

^ 

^ 

hH 

^3 

cS 

H 

03 

t; 

h- 1 

KTl 

ri 

Ph 

J^ 

1— 1 

_S 

o 

o; 

g 

2 

a 
O 

pq 


A   FEW   EAELY   LAWS  41 

tinent.  If  some  of  these  statutes  seem  miaccount- 
able  to  us,  perhaps  if  we  compare  these  laws  of 
the  pioneers,  with  some  of  the  legislation  which 
we  propose  to  meet  modern  conditions,  and  with 
two  centuries  of  experience  and  education  to  our 
debit,  the  comparison,  after  all  may  not  be  very 
damaging  to  the  first  dreamers  in  the  world  of 
civil  liberty.  James  I.  was  on  the  throne  of  Great 
Britain  when  the  Pilgrims  sailed  and  the  following 
monarchs  reigned  during  our  colonial  life,  the 
year  named  being  the  time  they  ascended  the 
throne : 

1625    Charles  I. 

1648    The  Commonwealth,  or  Oliver  Cromwell. 

1660     Charles  II. 

1685    James  II. 

1689    William  and  Mary. 

1694    William  III. 

1702    Anne. 

1714    George  I. 

1727    George  II. 

1760    George  III. 


THE  FIEST  SEPARATION 

Isaac  Cushman,  grand  son  of  Robert  the 
Pilgrim,  was  Plympton's  god-father.  Thomas, 
son  of  Robert  and  father  of  Isaac,  had  long  been 
the  noted  Ruling  Elder  of  the  Pilgrim  church  when 
he  died  in  1691,  and  Isaac  was  slated  as  his 
successor. 

To  be  a  Ruling  Elder  in  the  Plymouth  church 
was  only  the  second  ambition  of  Isaac  Cushman — 
perhaps  the  third — *and  he  kicked  over  the  slate. 
Residing  in  the  west  end  of  the  town  where  two 
groups  of  settlements  had  begun  to  flourish,  Col- 
chester and  Lakenham,  Cushman 's  heart  was  with 
his  neighbors  and  eight  miles  from  the  old  church 
had  begotten  notions  in  their  heads  that  the 
proper  step  under  the  circumstances  would  be  to 
have  a  church  of  their  own  and  to  have  their 
neighbor  and  friend  for  a  minister.  Such  was  the 
dream  that  laid  the  foundation  for  the  "upper 
society. ' ' 

But  there  were  obstacles  to  overcome  before  the 
new  society  could  legally  have  the  minister  of 
its  choice:    there  were  dead  branches  to  lop  off 


*In  addition  to  the  call  of  Isaac  Cushman  to  settle  over  the  new 
church,  he  was  wanted  as  successor  to  Eev.  Mr.  Fuller  of  the  First 
Church  of  Middleboro.  But  the  bond  of  sympathy  between  him 
and  the  residents  of  the  new  society  could  not  be  broken  by  the 
more  tempting  offers  from  the  larger  parishes. 

43 


44  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

before  the  tree  would  relinquish  the  sprig.  Chief 
among  these  was  the  church  rule,  that  a  man  must 
serve  the  church  as  Euling  Elder  before  he  could 
be  ordained  as  a  minister.  Isaac  had  never  served 
in  such  a  capacity,  but  he  declined  the  offer  and 
began  his  ministry  over  the  new  society  without 
an  ordination.  Of  course  this  meant  three  years 
of  agitation  in  church  circles,  but  Cushman  con- 
tinued to  preach  until  the  church  receded  and  gave 
him  the  regular  ordination  in  October,  1698.  The 
Precinct  was  incorporated  in  November,  1695. 
The  fact  that  Cushman  continued  in  that  capacity 
as  long  as  his  health  would  permit,  and  that  he  was 
pensioned  by  his  grateful  people  in  his  last  days, 
is  sufficient  evidence  of  his  head  and  heart. 

Thus  called  together  in  the  duties  and  services 
of  the  church,  the  fellow  workers  in  the  woods 
soon  conceived  the  idea  of  a  separate  town  and  in 
less  than  twelve  years  the  town  of  Plympton  was 
born.  The  new  Precinct  included  Lakenham,  but 
not  South  Meadows,  but  when  Plympton  was  in- 
corporated the  new  town  extended  over  all  of  the 
territory  covered  by  the  future  town  of  Carver. 

The  following  comprise  the  voters  of  Plympton 
for  1708-09: 

Group  A* 
Isaac  Cushman  Ensign  Elkanah  Cushman 

Thomas  Cushman  Frances  Cook 

Dea.  John  "Waterman  Lieut.  John  Bryant 


*  Group  A  includes  the  residents  of  Plympton,  and  group  B 
those  of  the  future  town  of  Carver.  The  division  may  not  be 
strictly  accurate,  but  it  is  fairly  correct. 


THE    FIRST     SEPARATION 


45 


Jonathan  Bryant 
John  Everson 
Richardson  Everson 
Benjamin  Eaton 
John  Bryant 
John  Bryant 
James  Bryant 
Peter  West 
Samuel  Bryant 
Joseph  Phinney 
James  Bearce 
Samuel  Sturtevant 
Robert  Waterman 


Benjamin  Curtice 
David  Bosworth 
Nehemiah  Sturtevant 
Samuel  Sturtevant,  Jr. 
Ebenezer  Standish 
William  Sturtevant 
Joseph  King 
Peter  Thompson 
Job  Simmons 
Isaac  King 
William  Churchill 
Isaac  Cushman,  Jr. 
George  Sampson 


Group  B 


Lieut.  William  Shurtleff 
Edmund  Weston 
Joseph  King,  Jr. 
John  Wright 
Adam  Wright 
Isaac  Sampson 
Benjamin  Soule 
Nathaniel  Harlow 
Samuel  Fuller 
Dea.  John  Rickard 
Eleazur  Rickard 
Josiah  Rickard 
John  Pratt 
Jeduthen  Robbins 
Jabez  Eddy 
Henry  Rickard 
Edmund  Tillson 


John  Doten 
Robert  Ransom 
Samuel  Waterman 
Ephraim  Tillson 
John  Tillson 
Jonathan  Shaw 
Benoni  Shaw 
John  Cole 
John  Carver 
George  Bonum 
Benoni  Lucas 
John  Barrows 
Dea.  Nathaniel  Wood 
Eleazer  King 
Thomas  Shurtleff 
Abial  Shurtleff 
Caleb  Loring 


46  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Eegardless  of  the  provisions  of  its  charter,  the 
new  town  stepped  immediately  into  the  enjoyment 
of  the  immunities  and  the  sufferance  of  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  a  pioneer  settlement.  Expecting 
to  eke  their  subsistence  from  the  soil,  they  imme- 
diately declared  war  on  crows  and  blackbirds,  and 
every  householder  must  either  produce  two  of  the 
former  or  six  of  the  latter  between  March  15th  and 
June  15th  under  penalty  of  having  two  shillings 
added  to  their  tax  bills.  There  was  hustling 
among  the  householders  to  get  the  quota  of  ebony 
birds,  for  coy  as  the  crow  is,  he  was  easier  to  get 
in  those  early  days  than  two  shilling  bits. 

Hogs  enjoyed  the  freedom  of  the  town,  provided 
they  were  ringed  and  yoked  according  to  law,  and 
hogreaves  were  annually  chosen  to  see  that  the 
law  was  complied  with. 

To  guarantee  the  abstinence  from  work  and  play 
on  the  Sabbath,  tythingmen  were  also  chosen  and 
sworn  to  the  faithful  discharge  of  their  duties. 
The  Sunday  morning  beats  of  these  officials,  armed 
with  the  badge  of  their  authority,  rendered  it 
injudicious  for  anyone  to  trifle  with  the  law.  The 
tythingman  was  not  a  popular  officer,  and  the 
position  not  generally  desired.  The  records  show 
that  these  officers  seldom  succeeded  themselves. 

Not  the  least  of  the  town 's  perplexing  problems 
concerned  wildcats,  deer,  and  undesirable  citizens. 
The  former,  because  so  depredations  between 
1720  and  1740  that  the  war  against  them  was  en- 
couraged by  a  town  bounty.  Sportsmen  spurred 
on  perhaps  by  the  necessities  of  the  table,  were 
such  destroyers  of  deer  that  the  question  was 


THE    FIRST    SEPARATION  47 

taken  up  by  the  town  and  the  law  invoked  for  their 
protection. 

Undesirable  citizens  were  warned  out  of  town 
according  to  law.  In  1711  the  Selectmen  exercised 
their  jurisdiction  for  the  first  time,  when  the  board 
issued  its  warrant  to  Jolin  Coal,  requiring  him  to 
warn  Marcy  Donham  to  depart  said  town.  The 
nature  of  Marcy 's  offence  does  not  appear,  but 
she  evidently  did  not  meet  with  the  approval  of 
the  town  fathers. 

The  town  in  compliance  with  the  statutes, 
started  its  school  system  in  1708  through  an 
ordnance  instructing  the  Selectmen  to  employ  a 
school  master.  This  was  the  limit  of  the  town's 
duties  in  the  matter,  and  after  the  master  had  been 
employed,  the  place  for  holding  the  school  was  left 
with  its  patrons.  Many  of  the  young  obtained 
their  education  in  their  own  homes  from  books 
provided  by  themselves,  while  the  master  was 
present  as  a  guide  and  guest. 

Human  nature  was  the  same  in  those  days  as  we 
find  it  in  the  dawn  of  the  twentieth  century,  but 
methods  of  controlling  it  have  changed.  Young 
people  were  obliged  to  attend  church  Sundays 
under  penalty  of  a  poke  from  the  tythingman,  but 
once  in  the  Meeting  House  they  were  young  folks 
still  and  the  town  occasionally  found  it  necessary 
to  choose  a  committee  to  occupy  seats  among  them 
in  church  and  watch  their  conduct,  to  insure  the 
minister  an  undisturbed  opportunity. 

But,  the  question  that  furnished  the  voters  with 
their  constant  agitation,  was  the  continual  efforts 
to  divide  the  town.    The  town  of  Plympton  was 


48  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

not  well  established  as  a  municipality  when  an 
unrest  manifested  itself,  and  the  new  town  may 
be  said  to  have  been  ushered  into  existence  with 
a  sectional  line  as  a  birth  mark.  The  Meeting 
House  was  the  heart  of  the  town,  and  at  the  outset 
there  were  freeholders  with  so  remote  a  residence 
that  they  never  felt  the  pulse.  From  the  Plympton 
meeting  house  to  the  Wareham  line,  is  upwards 
of  twelve  miles,  and  with  the  travelling  facilities 
of  the  times  even  the  South  Precinct  found  it 
advisable  at  times  to  exempt  the  residents  of  the 
Tihonet  region  from  the  rates  on  condition  that 
the  exempted  pay  their  taxes  to  the  Wareham 
authorities. 

Lakenham,  and  more  especially  South  Meadows, 
early  started  an  agitation  for  the  division  of  the 
town,  that  was  not  ended  until  the  division  came 
three-quarters  of  a  century  later.  These  move- 
ments were  resisted  at  first  and  when  they  could 
no  longer  be  held  back,  a  compromise  was  effected 
by  the  incorporation  of  the  South  Precinct.  Still 
the  agitation  continued,  and  time  after  time,  the 
town  voted  against  ''setting  the  Precinct  off  as  a 
separate  town."  In  the  spirit  of  compromise 
many  town  rights  were  conferred  upon  the  rebel- 
lious Precinct,  and  when  the  town  was  born  it 
stepped  among  its  sisters  well  trained  in  its  duties. 

There  appears  no  striking  evil  over  which  the 
Precinct  complained,  and  it  is  probable  that  the 
residents  of  Lakenham  stood  with  the  old  town 
against  division.  But  the  South  Precinct  em- 
braced the  larger  part  of  the  territory  of  Plymp- 
ton and  naturally,  the  South  Precinct  enjoyed  the 


< 

w 

Eh    '5 


THE    FIRST    SEPARATION  49 

larger  per  cent  of  the  increase  in  population.  And 
as  every  new  settler  was  in  the  remote  section, 
every  new  settler  added  one  to  the  forces  of  dis- 
content, hence  the  inevitable  could  only  be  post- 
poned. 


'Si 

p 
O 

>A 
O 
O 

o 

xn 


EARLY  SETTLEES 

It  is  easy  to  see,  why  the  struggling  farmers  of 
Plymouth  placed  such  a  high  valuation  on  the 
fresh  meadows,  in  the  days  before  the  cultivation 
of  fine  top,  clover  and  timothy;  equally  as  plain 
why  the  luxurious  meadows  found  in  the  limits  of 
the  future  town  of  Carver,  should  receive  the  name 
of  the  South  Meadows.  In  the  earliest  coloniza- 
tion of  this  region,  the  grants  of  land  were  made 
and  the  first  settlers  located  in  relation  to  these 
meadows.  Thus,  in  our  earliest  history,  we  find 
our  pioneers  at  South  Meadows,  Lakenham 
(adjacent  to  Winatuxett  Meadows),  Mahutchett 
Meadows,  Cranebrook  Meadows,  Doty's  Meadows, 
Fresh  Meadows  and  New  Meadows. 

There  were  large  landowners — promoters  in  the 
true  sense — among  the  early  settlers.  The  Shaws, 
Ransoms,  Watsons  and  Coles  at  Lakenham;  the 
Cobbs  at  Mahutchett;  the  Rickards  and  Water- 
mans  at  Snappit;  the  Dunhams  and  Pratts  at 
Wenham;  the  Shurtleffs,  Lucases  and  Tillsons  at 
South  Meadows;  the  Barrows  and  Murdocks 
around  Sampson's  pond,  and  the  Atwoods  at 
Fresh  Meadows. 

The  dangers  and  privations  that  always  follow 
the  pioneers  of  a  new  country,  gave  romance  to 
the  lives  of  our  first  settlers.  The  unsanitary 
state  of  the  country  made  up  of  hills  and  un- 

51 


52  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

drained  swamps,  and  the  exposures  on  account  of 
insufficient  housing,  rendered  them  susceptible  to 
disease,  while  their  distance  from  the  doctors  of 
the  settlements  left  them  to  battle  for  themselves. 

The  first  houses  were  located  in  the  valleys,  with 
the  barns  from  one  hundred  to  three  hundred 
yards  away  according  to  drainage.  The  houses 
were  thus  located,  in  order  to  be  near  water  and 
for  a  protection  against  the  elements  during  the 
Winter  months. 

These  houses  were  built  under  disadvantages 
and  consequently  of  the  simplest  design.  While 
lumber  was  in  abundance,  the  means  of  turning  it 
to  boards  were  lacking.  Furniture,  cooking 
utensils,  farm  implements  and  wearing  apparel 
must  be  mostly  of  the  home  made  order,  while 
communication  with  the  settlement  at  Plymouth 
and  with  neighbors,  was  carried  on  through  Indian 
trails,  which  in  later  years  were  adopted  as  the 
highways  and  improved.  And  when  we  consider 
the  situation  of  even  the  most  favored  ones,  we 
must  admire  the  faith  and  hardihood  of  a  race 
that  suffered  and  braved  so  much  to  make  the 
world  what  it  is. 

In  the  struggle  to  sustain  themselves  from  the 
land,  they  faced  natural  enemies  that  baffled 
their  wits  and  developed  their  sporting  instincts. 
Crows,  blackbirds  and  red  birds  dug  their  corn 
after  it  had  been  planted,  while  wolves,  foxes,  wild 
cats  and  other  carnivorous  animals  skulked  after 
their  fowl.  For  more  than  a  century,  bounties 
were  paid  for  the  heads  of  crows,  blackbirds  and 
red  birds,  while  wolves  and  wild  cats  were  ex- 


EARLY    SETTLERS  53 

terminated  in  this  manner.  Beaver  were  plentiful 
in  the  earliest  days,  but  they  were  exterminated 
on  account  of  the  value  of  their  furs.  But  while 
birds  and  animals  diminished  the  means  of  sub- 
sistence, there  were  counter  advantages  of  no  little 
consideration.  The  ponds  teemed  with  fish,  Samp- 
son's,  Doty's  and  probably  Clear  being  breeding- 
grounds  for  herring,  and  this  was  a  large  item  on 
their  bill  of  fare.  The  woods  were  full  of  deer, 
rabbits  and  edible  birds  and  this  went  far  towards 
supplying  the  farmers  with  meat.  The  only 
species  that  diminished  under  free  hunting  and 
trapping  were  deer,  and  laws  to  protect  them  were 
early  enacted.  Such  in  brief  were  the  conditions 
that  confronted  the  farmer  settlers  in  the  year 
1700. 

But  a  wonderful  advance  was  on  the  slate  for 
the  new  century,  little  foreseen  by  the  lonely 
farmers  who  witnessed  its  dawn  and,  perhaps,  not 
fully  appreciated  by  their  descendants  who,  having 
won  their  independence,  battled  with  its  vexatious 
problems  in  the  century's  closing  twilight.  Still 
wonderful  as  we  now  behold  it  was  the  century 
that  transformed  our  community  from  a  few  scat- 
tered farmers,  living  upon  their  crops  and  warring 
on  blackbirds,  to  a  town  of  social  and  industrial 
enthusiasm.  Saw  mills  and  grist  mills,  two  meet- 
ing houses,  three  iron  manufactories,  forges,  acres 
of  tillage  lands,  taverns,  school  houses,  stage  lines, 
a  new  precinct  and  a  new  town,  were  the  local 
achievements,  while  in  the  larger  field,  we  were 
transformed  from  a  group  of  struggling  colonies 
sleeping  on  their  arms  in  constant  fear  of  Indian 


54  HISTORY    OF    CAEVER 

massacres  and  trembling  for  the  next  move  of  the 
monarch  three  thousand  miles  away,  to  a  nation  of 
independent  people  with  full  faith  in  their  ability 
to  sustain  their  rights.  And  while  we  contemplate 
the  glory  of  their  achievements,  it  is  inspiring  to 
review  the  pleasures  and  hardships  of  those  lives 
devoted  to  the  cause  of  human  progress. 

Essential  to  the  building  of  better  homes,  and 
to  the  wants  of  a  people  who  must  live  from  their 
land,  were  saw  mills  and  grist  mills,  and  to  the 
establishment  of  these  the  early  settlers  devoted 
their  energies. 

These  mills  might  seem  slow  in  the  eyes  of  the 
fast  operators  of  today,  but  like  their  builders, 
they  did  their  work.  Their  construction  was 
simple.  A  dam  to  hold  a  pond  for  the  power  was 
the  first  essential.  A  low  building  open  on  one 
side,  with  a  long,  low  extension  into  which  pro- 
jected the  long  log  as  the  saw  worked  its  way 
through,  was  located  on  declining  ground  in  order 
for  the  better  handling  of  the  heavy  logs.  Most 
of  the  machinery  was  of  wood,  and  the  long  saw 
shot  up  and  down  at  every  revolution  of  the  water 
wheel,  hence  the  name — The  Up  and  Down  mill. 
Most  of  these  mills  were  company  enterprises,  the 
owners  dividing  the  time  when  each  should" 
operate  it  in  lieu  of  the  modern  method  of  divid- 
ing the  profits.  Grist  mills  were  located  on  the 
same  dam,  and  forges  for  doing  iron  work  became 
a  necessity  in  every  community  and  they,  too,  were 
located  near  the  mills. 

In  the  winter  months,  these  mills  became  the 
centres    of    activity    and    society    for    the    male 


EARLY    SETTLERS  55 

population.  Even  the  millers  were  not  rushed, 
and  many  stories  could  be  told  while  the  saw  was 
plowing  its  way  slowly  but  surely  along  and  the 
manufacture  of  boards  was  a  pleasure  and  a 
process  that  often  entertained  the  farmer's  wife 
and  children. 

On  a  Winter  day  when  the  snow  precluded  any 
other  duty,  the  farmer  shouldered  his  bag  of  grain 
and  started  for  the  mill.  He  carried  no  orders  to 
hurry  back,  for  his  wife  attended  to  the  milking, 
while  the  boys  had  been  trained  to  do  their  part. 
There  appeared  to  be  no  reason  why  he  could  not 
properly  loaf  around  the  mills  and  forge  all  day, 
picking  up  bits  of  news  and  gossip  for  the  amuse- 
ment of  his  family  when  he  returned.  And  many 
were  the  debates  around  the  mills  on  questions 
that  related  to  their  farms,  their  church,  their 
neighborhood,  or  their  rights  so  nobly  conferred 
upon  them  by  the  charter  of  good  King  William. 
Practical  jokes  had  their  place  in  the  exercises  of 
the  day,  and  whenever  an  extra  large  log  must  be 
rolled  down  upon  the  carriage,  there  were  plenty 
of  spare  hands  to  give  a  lift  just  for  the  fun  of  it. 
And  when  night  ended  the  fun  around  the  mill,  the 
farmer  could  shoulder  his  bag  of  flour — minus  the 
toll — and  wade  home  through  the  snow  in  the  light 
of  the  rising  moon.  If  the  mill  happened  to  be 
too  far  away,  the  horse  could  be  utilized  as  a 
means  of  transportation. 

Think  you,  after  such  a  vigorous  day  with  little 
or  no  food,  did  the  supper  steaming  on  the  crane  or 
simmering  in  the  coals,  tempt  the  farmer  to 
exclaim  that  he  lived  in  the  best  days  the  world 


56  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

ever  knew  f  Yet  a  few  years  later  what  an  advance 
in  the  facilities  that  catered  to  the  wants  of  the 
people,  for  in  this  better  day  the  housewife  could 
burn  a  roaring  fire  for  an  hour  in  a  large  brick 
oven,  rake  out  the  ashes,  insert  her  pot  of  beans, 
rye  bread,  pumpkin  pies  and  fowl,  and  then  while 
her  cooking  was  going  on  she  could  go  about  her 
other  work,  stopping  occasionally  we  may  be  sure 
to  take  a  peek  through  the  little  aperture  in  the 
oven,  to  see  her  pies  and  beans  gradually  assum- 
ing their  famous  brown. 

The  girls  made  their  own  dolls  and  doll 's  cloth- 
ing, and  no  little  pleasure  was  found  in  learning  to 
do  the  duties  that  fell  to  the  lot  of  women.  The 
boys  were  free  to  hunt  and  trap  the  game.  They 
made  their  own  boats  and  fishing  poles,  their  cross 
bows,  carts,  sleds  and  cornstalk  fiddles,  and  they 
told  stories  at  night  in  the  light  of  the  open  fire, 
while  their  older  brothers  and  sisters  gathered  in 
the  larger  houses  and  taverns  for  social  events, 
where  the  village  fiddler  sawed  into  immortal  song 
the  old  ''kitchen  spree." 

Another  item  of  hallowed  memory  in  the  society 
of  the  times  clustered  around  the  swing.  Every 
hamlet  had  its  village  swing  located  in  some  clump 
of  gigantic  trees,  where  on  holidays  and  in  the  long 
summer  twilights,  the  young  gathered  for  social 
joys  and  there  has  always  been  a  suspicion  that 
Cupid  had  a  perch  in  the  branches  of  the  same 
old  trees. 

Of  course  there  were  disadvantages  in  those 
days,  little  inconveniences  that  in  souls  of  fun  and 
courage,  only  served  to  develop  a  rugged  char- 


EARLY    SETTLERS  57 

acter.  To  get  out  of  bed  in  an  old  farm  house 
when  the  thermometer  outside  hovered  around 
zero,  go  shivering  down  to  the  kitchen  to  find  that 
the  high  wind  had  completely  extinguished  the 
fire,  called  into  action  no  little  sand  and  self- 
reliance,  for  an  extinct  fire  could  not  easily  be  re- 
kindled. While  the  others  remained  in  bed,  one 
of  the  older  boys  must  don  his  boots,  still  stiff  and 
cold  from  the  baptism  of  the  preceding  day,  and  in 
the  face  of  the  biting  wind  wade  across  the  fields 
through  snow  that  buried  the  fences,  to  borrow 
fire  from  a  neighbor.  And  then  to  get  the  coals 
back  through  the  gale  with  life  enough  in  them  to 
start  a  blaze,  was  no  small  test  on  the  boy's  in- 
genuity. Such  in  part  was  the  training  of  the 
boys  who  left  their  beds  in  darkness  to  dig  the 
trenches  at  Bunker  Hill. 

While  Edward  Doty*,  the  hot  tempered  passen- 
ger of  the  Mayflower,  may  have  been  the  first  to 
till  the  soil  of  Carver,  there  is  not  satisfactory 
evidence  that  he  resided  on  his  possessions,  and 
to  Jonathan  Shaw  falls  the  honor  of  being  the  first 
permanent  resident  of  the  territory  embraced  in 
the  present  municipal  limits  of  the  town.  Shaw 
had  a  house  at  Lakenham  as  early  as  1660,  and 
John  Pratt,  who  had  a  residence  south  of  Doty's 
pond  in  1675,  was  a  close  second.  The  exact  site 
of  these  houses  may  not  go  unquestioned,  but  there 


*E(lward  Doty's  farm  was  the  land  now  owned  and  occupied  hj 
Finney  Brothers.  Thus  the  names  was  given  to  Doty's  cedar 
swamp  and  Doty's  pond,  which  later  acquired  the  name  of 
Wenham  pond. 


58  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

are  reasons  for  stating  that  Shaw's  house  stood 
on  the  site  of  the  present  Sturtevant  house  south 
of  the  Green.  The  present  house  was  built  as 
early  as  1750  (possibly  earlier),  and  a  tradition 
says  it  was  the  third  house  built  on  that  site.  The 
Pratt  house  probably  stood  on  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent residence  of  Allerton  L.  Shurtleif. 

Early  neighbors  of  Shaw  and  Pratt  were  John 
Dunham  at  Wenham,  Benony  Lucas  at  South 
Meadows  and  John  Benson  at  Fresh  Meadows. 
At  that  time  the  main  traveled  road  from  Ply- 
mouth to  Middleboro,  led  through  Annasnapet  and 
Parting  Ways,  this  road  being  referred  to  by  old 
residents  as  ^'the  old  way"  as  late  as  the  last  of 
the  last  century.  The  road  through  Darby  was  in 
use,  however,  at  the  same  time.  Shaw's  residence 
stood  about  midway  between  Plymouth  and 
Middleboro,  Mahutchett  was  a  mile  to  the  south- 
west. Popes  Point  two  miles  to  the  south  and 
South  Meadows  three  miles  to  the  southeast. 

Among  those  who  joined  the  Lakenham  settle- 
ment by  the  year  1700  or  soon  after  were  the 
Bonums,  "Watsons,  Kings,  Bobbins,  Watermans, 
Eickards,  Wrights  and  Ransoms.  There  was  a 
boom  in  the  settlement  of  this  region  at  the  time 
through  the  division  of  the  common  lands.  The 
Shaws  and  Watsons  held  possessions  in  the  west 
section  where  their  descendants  settled.  Watson 
held  land  on  Rocky  Meadow  brook,  and  Thomas 
Pope  owning  a  grant  at  the  junction  of  this  brook 
with  South  Meadow  river,  gave  the  name  of  Popes 
Point  to  the  land,  which  later  became  the  local 
name  of  the  village  that  grew  up  around  the 
furnace. 


o 
o 

3 

1—1 
o 

o 

Ph 


EARLY    SETTLERS  59 

The  Rickards  and  Watermans  located  at  Anna- 
snapet;  the  Ransoms  owned  the  large  tract  be- 
tween the  Doty  farm  and  Lakenham  brook;  and 
the  Pratts  and  Crookers  the  tract  between  Ply- 
mouth street  and  Wenham  road. 

While  the  earlier  settlers  of  Lakenham  patron- 
ized the  mills  at  Plympton,  the  settlers  of  this 
region  soon  had  such  facilities  of  their  own  and 
mills  were  in  operation  at  Lakenham,  South 
Meadows  and  probably  Wenham.  The  industrial 
activities  of  the  people  were  confined  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits  until  the  decade  1730-40,  when  the 
Popes  Point  furnace  was  established  and  a  re- 
markable impetus  given  to  the  social  and  indus- 
trial life  of  this  region.  The  building  of  the  first 
iron  furnace,  the  first  meeting  house  and  the 
establishment  of  the  first  three  school  districts, 
marks  this  decade  as  a  memorable  one  in  the 
development  of  the  settlement. 

The  Shermans  joined  the  Precinct  before  the 
Revolution,  purchasing  a  large  tract  from  the 
Ransoms.  John  Sherman  conducted  a  tavern  on 
the  site  of  the  residence  of  James  S.  McKay*. 

Fresh  Meadows  was  a  thriving  village  before 
the  Revolution.  Fifty  years  after  Plymouth 
Rock,  there  was  a  bridge  across  the  river  near 
where  the  wide  bridge  is  now  located  known  as 
Benson's    bridge.     The    Benson    property    must 

*The  business  of  the  tavern  was  moved  in  1815  to  the  John  Shaw 
house,  near  the  Green,  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Horace  C.  Robbins.  In 
this  tavern  was  located  Sherman  hall ;  where  public  meetings,  balls, 
etc.,  were  held.  It  was  a  lively  center,  especially  on  muster  days, 
when  the  militia  made  it  its  headquarters. 


60  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

have  included  much  of  the  land  between  the  Ware- 
ham  road  and  the  river,  the  original  homestead 
being  a  short  distance  back  from  the  N.  S.  Gush- 
ing farm,  where  the  spot  is  now  located  by 
straggling  remnants  of  apple  trees.  The  burying 
ground  was  on  a  hill  easterly  from  the  Gushing 
house,  which  is  now  marked  by  a  lone  headstone, 
the  rest  having  been  carried  away  by  boys. 

The  first  saw  mill  was  established  early  in  the 
18th  century,  about  one-half  mile  above  the  pres- 
ent mill  and  where  the  rudiments  of  the  dam  may 
still  be  seen.  A  few  years  afterwards,  the  old  mill 
was  deserted  and  the  dam  built  upon  its  present 
site. 

Joshua  Benson  was  a  thrifty  inn  keeper,  whose 
tavern  stood  on  the  hill  opposite  the  old  mill. 
From  the  eminent  position  of  the  tavern,  one 
could  look  over  the  mill  and  up  the  Plymouth  road 
and  the  enterprising  proprietor  who  may  be 
presumed  to  have  had  a  stock  of  Jamaica  rum  on 
hand,  must  have  looked  up  this  road  with  a  busi- 
ness eye,  as  the  well-to-do  merchants  journeyed 
between  Plymouth  and  New  Bedford.  On  a  dusty 
day  in  summer,  how  refreshing  to  man  and  beast 
must  have  been  a  halt  at  the  gay  old  tavern ;  and 
when  the  cold  blasts  of  winter  chilled  the  travel- 
lers through  and  through,  how  inviting  must  have 
been  the  red  logs  that  burned  on  the  hearth  and 
the  stock  in  trade  of  the  genial  proprietor. 

On  the  dam  beyond  the  mill  looking  from  the 
tavern,  was  located  the  grist  mill  and  the  forge. 
With  these  thriving  industries  and  with  a  gay  and 
contented  population.  Fresh  Meadows  is  a  pleas- 


EARLY    SETTLERS  61 

ant  dream.  The  swamps  in  that  region  were 
prolific  with  huckleberries  which  the  residents 
turned  to  good  account,  the  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren gathering  them  for  the  markets  of  Plymouth 
and  New  Bedford.  Coming  to  meet  the  stage 
from  all  directions,  the  point  where  they  gathered 
at  the  junction  of  the  Charlotte  Furnace  road  with 
Rochester  road,  came  to  be  known  as  Huckle- 
berry Corner.  Nathaniel  Atwood  occupied  his 
old  homestead  later  known  as  the  Bates  Place  on 
the  west  side  of  Bates*  pond;  Eli  Thomas  and 
Ephraim  Griffith  tilled  their  farms  up  the  Popes 
Point  road;  Joel  Shurtleff  and  Caleb  Atwood 
farmed  their  clearings  up  the  Rochester  road; 
William  Washburn  lived  on  his  farm  opposite  the 
M.  E.  Church  of  later  times.  Deacon  Asaph  Wash- 
burn established  his  home  beyond  the  river  near 
Benson's  bridge. 

Reckoned  from  the  standpoint  of  continued  in- 
fluence, George  Barrows  and  John  Murdock  were 
the  pioneers  of  South  Carver.  Through  marital 
connections  Caleb  Cushman,  (whose  wife  was  a 
daughter  of  George  Barrows),  established  the 
Cushman  farm  about  1740 ;  and  later  the  Saverys 
were  settled  in  the  village  through  the  Barrows 
girls.  The  Barrows  property  skirted  the  west 
shore  of  the  pond  and  John  Murdock  held  the 
claim  to  the  land  on  the  east  side.  The  pond  itself 
was  lightly  regarded,  except  for  the  fish  it  yielded 
and  the  grassy  coves  for  their  hay  giving  and 
pasturage  qualities.     Grassy  Island  was  also  used 

*Bates'  pond  was  called  Atwood 's  pond  at  that  time. 


62  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

as  a  pasture,  being  approached  through  a  slough 
from  the  west  shore.  The  old  Barrows'  home- 
stead stood  at  the  junction  of  Mayflower  road  with 
Eochester  road;  the  Murdock  homestead  was  the 
farm  on  the  east  side  of  the  pond,  later  known  as 
the  Israel  Thomas  farm;  the  Tillson  farm  was 
located  about  midway  between  Rochester  road  and 
Meadows  road,  in  what  is  now  known  as  New 
Meadows;  and  it  is  probable  that  the  main  high- 
way at  that  time  passed  the  Tillson  house,  the 
Silas  Shaw  house,  the  Barrows  house  and  the 
Murdock  house  and  so  on  to  the  fishery  at  the 
outlet  of  the  pond.  Rochester  road  as  we  travel 
it,  was  laid  out  in  1698,  but  it  is  probable  that  the 
main  travel  south  was  on  the  east  side  of  the 
pond,  and  the  old  roads  leading  to  Halfway  ponds 
and  Agawam,  show  signs  of  having  once  been  main 
travelled  roads. 

The  success  of  Popes  Point  furnace,  had  fired 
the  heart  of  Bartlett  Murdock  and  through  his 
agitation,  operations  towards  the  establishment  of 
Charlotte  Furnace  were  begun  in  1760.  The 
meadows  south  of  the  pond  were  dyked  creating 
Furnace  pond  and  flowing  the  coves  and  Grassy 
Island,  for  which  annual  damages  were  paid. 

There  were  but  few  residents  south  of  the  pond 
at  that  time.  The  Seipets  living  on  the  Indian 
farm,  hunted  and  tilled  the  land  on  which  the 
village  of  South  Carver  stands ;  Bartlett  Murdock 
moved  further  south  and  laid  the  foundation  for 
the  Island  Farm ;  David  Shurtleff  lived  on  his  farm 
which  proved  to  be  his  monument,  going  there- 
after by  the  name  of  The  David  Place ;  the  Cush- 


o  = 


o  f? 


PL    % 


EARLY    SETTLERS  63 

mans  were  clearing  their  land ;  the  Dunhams  were 
farming  up  the  Plymouth  road  and  laying  the 
foundation  for  Dunhamtown;  the  Bumpusses, 
Maxims  and  possibly  others  were  scattered  be- 
tween the  pond  and  Tihonet.  At  the  same  time 
the  Barrows  family  was  settling  the  north  side 
of  the  pond,  and  Martin  Grady*  was  located  in 
the  woods  in  the  direction  of  Wankinco.  But  the 
establishment  of  Charlotte  Furnace  laid  the 
foundation  for  the  village  of  South  Carver,  which 
went  merrily  on  after  the  Revolution. 


*Martm  Grady's  house  and  farm  was  the  one  later  owned  by 
Thomas  Shaw,  near  Half-way  house  so  called.  Grady's  pond  thua 
acquired  its  name. 


THE  SOUTH  PRECINCT  OF  PLYMPTON 

The  western  precinct  of  Plymouth,  incorporated 
in  1698,  included  the  hamlets  of  Colchester  and 
Lakenham.  The  main  settlements  were  clustered 
around  Colchester  brook  and  even  Lakenham  was 
only  two  miles  away,  South  Meadows  not  being 
covered  by  the  new  society.  But  when  Plympton 
was  incorporated  a  few  years  later,  it  embraced 
all  of  the  territory  now  included  in  the  Town  of 
Carver. 

When  the  Plympton  meeting  house  was  built,  it 
was  located  fairly  in  the  centre  of  its  supporters. 
When  the  settlers  spread  out  over  the  South  lands 
clearing  farms  in  that  large  tract  stretching 
towards  Agawam  and  Rochester  the  meet- 
ing house  was  left  far  to  one  side,  and  in  less  than 
forty  years  from  the  incorporation  of  the  New  So- 
ciety an  agitation  for  still  another  meeting  house 
began  to  manifest  itself  based  upon  the  same  logic 
that  induced  the  Western  society  to  withdraw 
from  the*  Plymouth  church. 

As  this  territory  to  the  South  grew  in  numbers 
and  influence  various  compromises  were  offered  to 
discourage  the  new  meeting  house  proposition. 
In  1716  one  fourth  of  the  schoolmaster's  time  was 
spent  at  Lakenham  and  one  fourth  at  South 
Meadows ;  and  in  1731  the  South  was  granted  20 
pounds  towards   preaching  in  that  vicinity  the 

65 


66  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

ensuing  Winter.  But  the  agitation  grew  — 
natural  conditions  favored  it  —  while  the  breach 
between  the  old  society  and  the  embryo  society 
gradually  widened.  Nothing  stood  in  the  way  of 
an  outbreak  but  the  opportunity  and  this  came 
when  the  town  of  Plympton  voted  salaries  to  two 
ministers.  The  venerable  Cushman  had  worked 
his  way  into  the  affections  of  his  people  and  no 
hints  of  dismissal  are  visible.  But  he  was  too  old 
for  active  service.  To  control  the  situation  the 
town  voted  him  a  small  salary  while  the  regular 
salary  was  voted  Rev.  Jonathan  Parker  recently 
ordained.  And  this  furnished  the  mutineers  with 
their  opportunity. 

At  a  special  town  meeting  in  May  1730,  a  pro- 
test against  voting  salaries  to  two  ministers  in  one 
meeting  house  signed  by  49  of  the  Southrons  was 
filed  with  the  moderator.  Again  at  a  meeting  in 
November  a  stronger  protest  with  54  signatures 
was  entered  but  the  old  society  refused  to  yield. 
This  protest  shows  a  trace  of  the  prevailing  feel- 
ing:    ''We  have  done  our  duty  in  times  past  in 

supporting  the  minister  here  settled 

we  look  upon  the  circumstances  of  the  case  of  Mr. 
Parker's  call  not  agreeable  to  Scripture  rule  or 
the  practice  of  Churches. ' '  The  protest  concludes 
with  the  statement  that  several  of  the  subscribers 
have  petitioned  the  Selectmen  for  a  town  meeting 
to  "set  us  off  either  as  a  town  or  precinct." 

The  first  impulse  of  the  Southrons  was  for 
either  a  town  or  a  precinct  but  the  contest  de- 
veloped a  bitterness  that  rendered  a  compromise 
improbable.     The  old  society  was  rigidly  opposed 


SOUTH  PRECINCT   OF   PLYMPTON  67 

to  either  at  first,  but  as  the  breach  between  the 
sections  widened,  the  North  found  it  advisable  to 
look  with  favor  upon  a  separate  precinct  with  a 
view  to  prevent  the  division  of  the  town.  The 
General  Court  accepted  the  petition  which  was 
promptly  committeed  and  the  old  society  went  to 
work.  At  a  special  town  meeting  in  June,  1732,  a 
committee  consisting  of  David  Bosworth,  Samuel 
Bradford  and  Joseph  Thomas  was  instructed  to 
establish  the  line  setting  off  the  proposed  South 
Precinct;  and  a  committee  composed  of  Capt. 
Caleb  Loring,  Samuel  Sturtevant  and  Joseph 
Thomas  was  sent  to  the  General  Court  then  in 
session  to  answer  the  petition  of  the  South  end 
people. 

In  September  the  committee  to  whom  had  been 
referred  the  petition  visited  Plympton,  perambu- 
lated the  proposed  dividing  line,  and  heard  all 
interested  parties.  The  committeemen  un- 
doubtedly took  a  judicial  view  of  the  situation  and 
their  judgment  was  tempered  with  mercy.  They 
decided  upon  a  separate  precinct  and  as  the  new 
precinct  would  take  away  one  third  of  the  ratable 
estates  it  should  pay  one  third  of  Mr.  Cushman's 
salary  while  he  lived.  Upon  their  own  request 
the  families  of  Edmund  Tillson,  Isaac  Nye,  Elisha 
Witton,  Eleazer  Cushman,  Eleazer  Rickard  and 
Ephraim  Tillson  were  to  remain  with  the  old  so- 
ciety. The  division  line  was  practically  the 
Plympton-Carver  town  line  although  several  un- 
important changes  have  been  made.  The  act  in- 
corporating the  Precinct  passed  its'  final  stage 
November  16,  1732. 


68  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Six  of  the  freeholders  of  the  new  precinct  im- 
mediately petitioned  John  Murdock  of  Plymouth, 
one  of  his  Majesty's  Justices  of  the  Peace,  for  a 
precinct  meeting  and  the  warrant  addressed  to 
Barnabas  Shurtleff  one  of  the  petitioners  sum- 
moned the  new  society  in  legal  meeting  Monday, 
December  18,  1732.  At  this  meeting  Barnabas 
Shurtleff  was  chosen  Moderator,  Joseph  Lucas 
Clerk,  and  Capt.  Barnabas  Shurtleff,  Richard 
Dwelly  and  Samuel  Lucas,  Precinct  committee. 
At  an  adjourned  meeting  January  8,  1732,  Capt. 
Shurtleff,  John  Murdock  and  Joseph  Lucas  were 
chosen  Assessors,  and  Jabez  Nye,  Collector. 
Eighty  pounds  were  raised  for  the  support  of  the 
minister  and  Mrs.  Mary  Shaw  was  authorized  to 
entertain  the  ministerial  candidates  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  Precinct. 

The  bitterness  engendered  by  the  conflict  be- 
tween the  old  and  new  precincts  manifested  itself 
for  several  years  after  the  separation.  At  this 
first  legal  meeting  of  the  new  society  it  was  voted 
not  to  pay  the  assessment  against  them  for  the 
salary  of  ''Mr.  Jonathan  Parker."  It  was  held 
by  the  debaters  that  they  had  agreed  to  pay  one 
third  of  Mr.  Cushman's  salary  but  not  that  of  Mr. 
Parker.  The  old  society  had  the  legal  end  of  the 
argument  as  the  assessment  was  due  before  the 
South  Precinct  was  incorporated  but  there  was  a 
chip  on  the  shoulder  of  the  young  society. 
Plympton  appealed  to  the  courts  while  the  South 
Precinct  voted  to  stand  by  their  constable  in  re- 
sisting the  assessment  and  Capt.  Barnabas  Shurt- 
leff was  chosen  to  assist  in  the  defence. 


SOUTH  PRECINCT   OF  PLYMPTON  69 

The  precinct  was  unfortunate  in  its  first  min- 
istry. Not  only  was  there  constant  turmoil  with 
the  common  town  but  the  relations  between  pastor 
and  people  were  not  pleasant.  Which  party  was 
in  the  right  does  not  appear  at  this  day  but  it  is 
probable  that  there  was  a  lack  of  compromise  on 
both  sides  that  always  leads  to  misunderstanding. 
The  first  salary  was  to  be  80  pounds  with  an 
honorable  support  ever  after  so  long  as  the  min- 
ister remained  with  the  society.  In  the  first  candi- 
date's  answer  to  the  call  he  said  ''an  honorable 
support  for  myself  and  family  should  God  give 
me  one. ' '  This  was  indefinite  and  the  freeholders 
debated.  Should  they  bind  themselves  to  support 
the  minister's  family  as  long  as  it  lived?  The 
candidate  explained  that  he  meant  to  be  under- 
stood as  saying  as  long  as  he  remained  their 
pastor  and  with  this  explanation  the  doubters 
were  satisfied.  They  did  not  stop  to  consider 
what  a  world  of  varied  construction  was  wrapped 
up  in  that  innocent  clause  ' '  an  honorable  support ' ' 
and  before  they  could  get  a  separation  from  the 
first  minister  this  question  must  be  sifted  by  the 
courts. 

At  the  adjourned  meeting  Benoni  Shaw,  John 
Witton  and  Samuel  Jackson  were  constituted  a 
committee  to  procure  preachers  until  the  Precinct 
was  ready  to  give  a  call.  In  less  than  a  month — 
February  15th  —  the  voters  were  ready  and  the 
first  call  was  given  Rev.  Othniel  Campbell. 

The  ordination  of  a  minister  was  an  event  of 
great  import  in  that  generation  and  the  cere- 
monies   attending    the    ordination    of   Rev.    Mr. 


70  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Campbell  gave  birth  to  the  first  general  holiday  of 
the  South  Precinct,  June  2,  1733.  Committees 
were  appointed  to  entertain  the  ministers  and 
other  invited  guests  while  ministers  from  Roches- 
ter, Plymouth,  Kingston,  Middleboro,  Taunton, 
Raynham  and  Plympton  lent  the  dignity  of  their 
presence.  Samuel  Shaw  entertained  the  min- 
isters and  their  horses  at  the  expense  of  the  Pre- 
cinct. 

Mr.  Campbell's  first  salary  was  80  pounds  and 
this  was  gradually  increased  until  in  1741  it  had 
reached  the  highest  limit  — 160  pounds.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  salary  he  was  sometimes  granted 
extra  remuneration  whenever  any  unusual  event 
occurred.  In  1742  the  salary  was  dropped  to  40 
pounds  lawful  money  with  an  additional  gift  of 
five  pounds  ' '  in  consideration  of  the  rise  in  things 
the  past  year."  This  sudden  fall  in  the  salary 
has  no  bearing  on  the  relations  between  pastor 
and  people  but  is  entirely  due  to  the  general 
financial  disarrangements  of  the  Province. 

March  1, 1742-43  the  Precinct  voted  to  postpone 
action  on  the  minister's  salary  and  the  following 
September  40  pounds  were  raised  for  ' '  supplying 
the  pulpit. ' '  There  was  trouble  between  preacher 
and  people  and  this  was  the  outcome.  At  a  church 
meeting  December  6,  Rev.  Mr.  Campbell  was  dis- 
missed. A  Precinct  meeting  was  summoned 
December  26  to  see  if  the  Precinct  would  concur 
in  the  action  of  the  church.  Each  faction  pulled 
the  political  string  with  an  artistic  hand;  great 
excitement  prevailed  throughout  the  Precinct; 
and  expectations  of  a  sensation  filled  the  meeting 
house  on  the  day  of  the  public  meeting. 


SOUTH  PRECINCT   OF  PLYMPTON  71 

Capt.  Barnabas  Shurtleff  was  chosen  moderator 
and  in  calling  the  meeting  to  order  he  enquired  to 
know  if  anyone  had  anything  to  say  against  the 
warrant.  There  being  no  response  to  this  chal- 
lenge he  added:  ''Here  is  a  paper  put  in  by 
James  Shaw  and  others  directed  to  no  person,  no 
meeting  nor  no  date  and  therefore  the  moderator 
will  take  no  notice  of  it. ' ' 

The  main  question  was  then  put,  that  is  to  see 
if  the  Precinct  would  concur  in  the  action  of  the 
church  in  dismissing  Rev.  Mr.  Campbell.  In  the 
eagerness  of  both  factions  to  win  many  voted  who 
were  not  legally  entitled  to  that  privilege  and  the 
moderator  refused  to  count  the  hands.  In  this 
predicament  he  ordered  the  house  divided,  those 
favoring  concurrence  in  the  women's  seats  and 
those  opposed  in  the  men's  seats,  and  the  women's 
seats  containing  the  majority  of  the  freeholders 
he  declared  for  concurrence.  Joseph  Bridgham, 
Elisha  Lucas,  Abel  Crocker,  John  Shaw,  Samuel 
Shaw  and  Samuel  Jackson  were  named  as  a  com- 
mittee to  procure  a  new  minister. 

In  the  passions  of  the  contest  the  Precinct 
voted  not  to  pay  the  charges  of  the  Council  of 
Churches  but  wisely  reconsidered  the  action  the 
following  January  when  the  necessary  appropri- 
ation was  made  and  Ensign  NathanielAtwood  in- 
structed to  act  with  the  treasurer  in  adjusting  the 
dispute  with  Rev.  Mr.  Campbell.  But  the  breach 
between  Mr.  Campbell  and  the  Precinct  authori- 
ties was  too  wide  to  be  bridged  by  local  hands  and 
the  minister  appealed  to  the  courts.  Capt.  Barnabas 
Shurtleff  and  Joseph  Bridgham  were  selected  to 


72  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

.represent  the  Precinct  at  the  May  session  of  the 
''Peace"  ''or  at  any  other  court  he  may  rest  his 
case."  Mr.  Campbell  lost  his  case  in  the  lower 
court  and  appealed  to  the  Superior  Court  of  As- 
sizes which  entered  his  appeal  and  continued  it 
much  to  the  chagrin  of  the  anti-Campbell  faction. 

The  case  was  thoroughly  discussed  in  the  Pre- 
cinct and  the  antis  expressed  their  minds  freely 
over  what  appeared  to  them  the  injustice  in  the 
assumption  of  jurisdiction  by  the  Superior  Court. 
A.  special  Precinct  meeting  was  called  when  At- 
wood  and  Bridgham  were  instructed  to  appeal  to 
the  Great  and  General  Court  for  "help  and  relief 
from  the  burden  and  difficulty  we  labor  under ' '  as 
a  result  of  allowing  this  case  to  go  beyond  the 
general  sessions  of  the  peace.  Mr.  Campbell  won 
a  judgment  but  the  Precinct  refused  to  submit  and 
the  matter  was  continued  until  1748  when  a  second 
appeal  was  made  to  the  General  Court  for  assist- 
ance in  settling  with  Mr.  Campbell  and  "to  com- 
pel him  to  give  up  the  church  records."  Nothing 
resulted  from  this  move  and  in  1751  the  committee 
had  reached  an  agreement  with  their  ex-minister 
by  allowing  him  10  pounds  in  addition  to  the 
court's  allowance.  This  agreement  was  subse- 
quently ratified  by  the  Precinct  and  the  matter 
was  closed. 

After  the  dismissal  of  Rev.  Mr.  Campbell  there 
was  no  settled  minister  in  the  Precinct  until  the 
ordination  of  John  Howland.  In  April,  1745,  the 
church  voted  a  call  to  Lemuel  Briant  to  which  the 
Precinct  concurred  the  following  month  with  a 
salary  of  46  pounds  and  5s.     A  committee  was 


g,r4^» 


SOUTH  PRECINCT   OF  PLYMPTON  73 

named  to  acquaint  Mr.  Briant  of  the  proceedings 
and  the  meeting  adjourned  one  month.  At  the 
adjourned  meeting  a  settlement  was  voted  Mr. 
Briant  and  there  he  drops  from  the  records.  The 
following  January  John  Howland  was  called  by 
the  church,  the  Precinct  concurred  February  8th 
with  a  salary  of  £46  Is  the  first  year  and  an 
"honorable  support  thereafter."  Perhaps  we 
can  see  in  Mr.  Rowland's  answer  something  of  the 
character  of  this  truly  remarkable  man. 

To  ye  Chh.  and  Congregation  in  ye  South  part 
of  Plympton,  Gentlemen — In  as  much  as  God  in 
his  Providence  has  been  pleased  to  Prosper  My 
Poore  Labors  among  you  as  to  Incline  your  Souls 
to  Give  Me  a  Call  to  ye  Worke  of  ye  Gospel  Min- 
istry among  you  and  after  Given  Thanks  to  God 

for ye  hearts  of  ye  People  Towards  men  and 

having  maturely  Considered  on  ye  Proposition  I 
Do  Accept  of  your  Call  Expecting  such  a  Main- 
tenance as  ye  Gospel  allows  to  Those  that  Waite 
att  ye  Alter,  that  Accepting  of  ye  Salery  as  Voted 
with  your  finding  of  me  my  Wood  Praying  that 

the  Grate  Sherard  wold the  little  Vine  which 

he  hath  Planted  and  be  Mindful  of  his  Little  Flock 
and  build  you  up  into  Spiritual  House  and  Eestore 

unto   it   its   former   Peace and   Unity,   that 

brotherly  love  may  not  only  continue  but  increase, 
that  all  strife  envy  and  evil  worke  may  be  put 
away,  that  we  may  be  so  Blessed  and  Prospered 
that  he  that  soweth  and  he  that  Reapeth  may  be 
one.  Desiring  a  remembrance  in  your  prayer  that 
I  may  make  full  proof  of  my  Ministry  and  so  take 


74  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Heed  to  myself  and  doctrine  so  that  after  I  have 
Preached  to  others  I  myself  may  not  be  cast  away. 
I  rest  yours  in   all   sincere  Love  and  Respect. 

PljTnpton,  June  21,  1746. 

John  Rowland. 

Mr.  Rowland  had  preached  to  the  people  at  in- 
tervals since  the  retirement  of  Eev.  Mr.  Campbell 
but  his  salary  did  not  begin  until  July  14.  1746, 
and  that  date  may  be  properly  named  as  the  be- 
ginning of  his  ministry. 

There  was  a  wide  variation  in  his  salary  during 
his  ministry  owing  to  the  financial  fluctuations  of 
the  country.  The  second  year  it  was  increased  to 
£185;  the  third  year  to  £286;  the  fourth  year 
dropped  to  £200;  and  in  1750  it  was  dropped  to 
£40,  one  half  of  which  was  to  be  in  supplies.  From 
that  period  to  the  Revolutionary  disturbances  it 
ranged  around  £65.  In  1778  he  was  voted  £64,  but 
at  a  special  Precinct  meeting  he  was  voted  an  ad- 
ditional £128.  In  1779  his  salary  was  £400  and  the 
year  following  it  jumped  to  the  princely  figure  of 
£1800.  In  1781  it  dropped  to  £75  in  silver.  In 
this  varying  credit  of  the  country  the  Precinct 
became  bewildered  to  such  an  extent  that  in  1782  it 
voted  to  petition  the  General  Court  for  instruc- 
tions and  advice  respecting  the  support  of  the 
minister.  The  same  year  the  Precinct  voted  in 
despair  to  give  the  Collector  one  silver  dollar  "in 
the  room  of  thirty  paper  ones." 

This  alarming  inflation  of  prices  was  not  the 
only  obstacle  in  the  path  of  the  peace  of  the  Pre- 


SOUTH  PRECINCT   OF  PLYMPTON  75 

cinct.  The  Baptists  were  on  tlie  increase  and 
with  their  increasing  strength  swelled  the  mur- 
murs of  discontent  with  the  rates;  while  the  South 
Meadow  people  who  had  built  a  meeting  house  in 
the  Southern  part  of  the  Precinct  were  in  a  con- 
stant state  of  rebellion.  There  had  been  so  much 
friction  with  these  malcontents  that  the  Precinct 
voted  to  petition  the  General  Court  for  authority 
to  let  the  people  south  of  the  South  Meadow  river 
decide  for  themselves  whether  they  would  belong 
to  the  old  church. 

Eev.  John  Rowland  saw  the  Precinct  develop  to 
its  zenith  and  enter  its  decline.  He  saw  his  coun- 
try pass  through  trying  ordeals;  the  government 
overthrown  by  revolution ;  the  powers  of  the  Pre- 
cinct melting  away  one  by  one ;  yet  through  all  of 
these  vicissitudes  he  seems  never  to  have  lost  his 
supreme  faith. 

In  1794  John  Bennett  of  Eochester,  dissatisfied 
with  the  doctrine  preached  in  his  church,  peti- 
tioned to  become  a  member  of  the  South  Precinct 
of  Plympton  by  virtue  of  a  small  tract  of  marsh 
meadow  owned  by  him  within  the  limits  of  the 
Precinct.  In  1799  John  Samson,  Isaac  Shaw, 
Isaac  Mann,  Jr.,  John  Bryant,  Joshua  Perkins  and 
Elkanah  Shaw,  petitioned  the  General  Court  to 
set  them  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  First 
Precinct  of  Middleboro.  These  mutineers  resided 
in  the  Rocky  Meadow  district  and  their  petition 
was  opposed.  The  committee  authorized  to  act 
for  the  Precinct  was  instructed  to  settle  with  the 
petitioners,  provided  it  could  come  to  an  agree- 
ment by  sacrificing  Samson  and  Shaw. 


76  HISTORY    OF    CAEVER 

During  tlie  last  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, opposition  to  the  rates  developed  strength 
rapidly.  The  Revolution,  the  Constitution  and 
the  incorporation  of  the  town  of  Carver  gave 
strength  to  newer  methods  of  church  government 
and  the  old  regime,  recognizing  the  strength  of  the 
opposition,  made  frequent  abatements.  While 
the  Precinct  was  not  legally  dead  until  1833,  the 
dawn  of  the  19th  century  saw  its  surrender  to 
public  sentiment  for  its  power  had  waned,  its 
Assessors  powerless  and  its  rate  bills  optional 
with  the  tax  payer.  Annual  remittances  of  the 
taxes  against  the  Baptists  and  the  South  Meadow 
people  were  made  and  amounts  raised  to  cover 
the  deficiency.  Not  infrequently  the  Precinct 
voted  to  assess  those  who  would  volunteer  to  pay 
the  assessment  and  so  the  custom  of  supporting 
the  minister  by  voluntary  subscriptions  came  in 
robed  in  the  raiment  of  the  old  order.  In  1806 
for  the  first  time,  the  Precinct  voted  to  pass  the 
contribution  box  after  services  every  Sunday 
evening. 

Through  all  of  these  vicissitudes  is  stamped 
the  greatness  of  Rev.  John  Rowland.  When  his 
people  were  blessed  with  abundance  he  shared  m 
their  blessings;  when  they  were  pinched  by 
poverty  or  shaken  by  financial  disturbances  he 
shared  in  their  misfortunes.  To  carry  his  people 
through  hard  years,  he  volunteered  to  take  a  re- 
duced salary  or  to  accept  a  part  of  it  in  ''corn,  rye, 
or  any  other  provisions  which  he  might  want  and 
which  his  people  could  spare."  Thus  for  sixty 
years  he  stood  as  a  bulwark  of  faith  in  prosperity 


SOUTH  PRECINCT   OF  PLYMPTON  77 

and  in  adversity,  and  in  the  dissensions  among  his 
people  his  voice  seems  to  have  been  for  peace  and 
his  sincerity  never  questioned.  Perhaps  it  was 
one  of  his  rewards  to  give  up  his  life  before  the 
actual  dismemberment  of  his  church. 

And  now  arose  the  question  of  selecting  a  suc- 
cessor to  the  venerable  Howland.  Calls  were 
voted  Lothrop  Thompson,  Daniel  Thomas  and 
Gaines  Conant  but  they  all  ended  in  failure.  In 
January,  1807,  Rev.  John  Shaw  accepted  a  call 
and  became  the  third  settled  minister  of  the 
Precinct.  He  was  ordained  October  7  by  the  fol- 
lowing Council :  Rev.  Samuel  Niles  and  Deacon 
Jacob  Pool,  Abington;  Rev.  Joseph  Barker  and 
Deacon  Perez  Thomas,  Middleboro;  Rev.  Noble 
Everett  and  Capt.  Jeremiah  Bumpus,  Wareham; 
Rev.  Adoniram  Judson  and  Maj.  Benjamin  War- 
ren, PljTuouth ;  Rev.  Jonathan  Strong  and  Deacon 
"William  Linfield,  Randolph;  Rev.  James  Kendall 
and  Benjamin  Whiting,  Pl^nnouth;  Rev.  Abel 
Richmond  and  Deacon  Jacob  Thompson,  Halifax ; 
Rev.  Asa  Mead  and  Deacon  David  Edson,  Bridge- 
water. 

With  the  ministry  of  Shaw  began  the  dissolu- 
tion of  the  Precinct,  although  attempts  were 
periodically  made  to  prolong  its  life.  At  regular 
and  special  meetings  the  question  of  holding  por- 
tions of  the  services  in  the  South  Meeting  house, 
and  later  in  the  Central  Meeting  house  furnished 
a  bone  of  contention  for  half  a  century.  While 
the  troubles  of  the  Precinct  were  carried  into  town 
meetings  the  town  as  a  whole  remained  impartial 
and  the  last  days  of  the  Precinct  and  the  first  days 


78  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

of  the  Parish  were  marked  by  a  succession  of 
struggles,  compromises  and  defeats  for  those  who 
heroically  strove  to  maintain  the  old  regime. 

In  1808  the  minister  was  instructed  to  preach 
one-third  of  the  time  in  the  South  Meeting  house, 
and  a  committee  named  to  see  where  the  centre  of 
the  town  would  fall.  Such  attempts  to  establish 
one  church  in  town  were  moves  of  the  insurgents 
and  opposed  by  the  old  guard.  The  year  follow- 
ing the  mutineers  stayed  at  home  on  election  day, 
while  the  Precinct  without  opposition  voted  that 
every  ratable  man  be  taxed  and  the  collector  was 
instructed  to  *'try  and  see  what  he  can  collect." 
At  this  meeting  it  was  voted  to  put  out  the  collec- 
tion of  taxes  in  the  South  part  of  the  Precinct  to 
the  lowest  bidder,  but  there  was  no  bid.  The  next 
move  was  to  elect  Jesse  Murdock  collector  at  a 
commission  of  20  cents  per  pound,  but  Murdock 
declined  the  offer,  and  another  committee  was 
named  to  find  someone  who  would  serve  the 
Precinct  as  Collector.  This  committee  reported 
its  inability  of  finding  anyone  who  would  accept 
the  position  and  the  meeting  adjourned.  At  a 
meeting  in  November  following  Maj.  Nehemiah 
Cobb,  an  uncompromising  leader  of  the  old  church, 
volunteered  to  collect  the  taxes  against  these 
rebellious  Southrons,  but  he  was  not  successful 
and  the  following  January  the  rates  against  forty- 
eight  men  who  had  paid  towards  the  support  of 
the  Baptist  minister  were  remitted  by  a  margin  of 
five  votes  and  against  a  written  protest  signed  by 
28  of  the  old  guard. 


SOUTH  PRECINCT  OF  PLYMPTON  79 

In  1811  James  Vaughan  and  Thomas  Ham- 
mond, a  committee  to  consult  in  matters  pertain- 
ing to  taxation  and  to  make  proposals  to  the 
Baptists,  reported  that  they  were  unable  to  find 
a  committee  of  the  new  society  that  was  willing 
to  confer,  and  the  following  year  the  Precinct 
voted  to  circulate  a  subscription  paper  to  see  how 
much  could  be  pledged  for  the  salary  of  the 
minister.  Rev.  Mr.  Shaw  having  consented  to  re- 
main another  year  for  what  volunteer  subscrip- 
tions could  be  obtained.  In  1813  the  birth  of  the 
donation  party  occurred,  when  by  vote  the  day 
after  Thanksgiving  was  set  apart  as  a  day  when 
anyone  so  disposed  could  meet  at  the  residence 
of  the  minister  with  their  own  choice  by  way  of 
contribution. 

In  1816  the  standing  committee  was  instructed 
to  meet  a  committee  of  the  Southern  society  to 
apportion  the  money  raised  for  preaching  and 
also  to  ''persuade  those  of  the  Baptist  denomina- 
tion to  take  proper  measures  to  be  set  off  or  to 
be  taxed  by  the  Precinct. ' ' 

In  1824  the  Centre  meeting  house  having  been 
erected,  the  Precinct  voted  that  all  persons  south 
of  the  Plains  have  preaching  in  their  own  meeting 
house  in  proportion  to  what  they  subscribed  for 
the  support  of  the  minister.  Undaunted  by 
numberless  defeats,  a  new  committee  was  chosen 
to  circulate  a  paper  for  the  purpose  of  seeing 
how  many  would  volunteer  to  pay  their  taxes. 
But  revolutions  do  not  run  backwards,  and  the 
old  method  of  supporting  the  pulpit  by  com- 
pulsory taxation  was  dead  forever.    Recognizing 


80  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

finally  in  1825  that  further  efforts  to  revive  the 
ancient  regime  were  useless,  a  special  meeting 
was  called  in  July,  which  voted  to  pass  subscrip- 
tion papers  for  the  support  of  preaching  in  the 
North  and  Central  churches.  This  plan  worked 
so  satisfactorily  that  the  next  year  the  South  was 
taken  into  the  plan,  andJabez  Sherman  for  the 
North,  Capt.  Lothrop  Barrows  for  the  Centre, 
and  Deacon  Asaph  Washburn  for  the  South  were 
named  as  a  soliciting  committee  to  raise  funds 
for  the  support  of  preaching  in  their  respective 
churches.  The  annual  meeting  for  1827  was  held 
in  the  Central  building,  and  the  two  societies 
united  for  that  year. 

As  it  is  true  that  the  Precinct  was  dead  long 
before  it  was  abolished  by  legislative  enactment, 
it  is  also  true  that  the  Parish  was  in  existence 
before  it  was  formally  adopted  as  a  custom.  The 
old  died  and  the  new  was  born  in  a  common 
twilight,  when  the  ideal  of  the  fathers  blended  in 
the  ideal  of  the  sons.  The  last  Precinct  meeting 
was  held  October  18,  1830,  and  the  first  Parish 
meeting  March  28,  1831. 

There  were  radicals  and  conservatives  in  that 
conflict.  The  conservatives  held  relentlessly  to  the 
old  way,  the  radicals  as  stoutly  for  a  change.  Be- 
tween these  extremes  there  appears  a  strong 
faction  whose  purpose  was  to  hold  the  Precinct 
together  in  one  strong  compact  and  in  whose 
minds  sectarianism  held  a  secondary  place.  This 
faction  fought  and  compromised  against  a  di- 
vision of  the  church,  but  the  Fates  were  against 
them. 


BENJAMIN  W.  ROBBINS 

From  a  Photograiih  taken  in  ]882 


SOUTH  PRECINCT  OF  PLYMPTON  81 

At  a  period  corresponding  with  tlie  demise  of 
the  Precinct  the  South  disappeared  as  a  disturb- 
ing factor.  Methodism  had  its  birth  in  that  end 
of  the  town  about  1828,  and  those  unconverted  to 
the  doctrine  of  Wesley  were  left  to  shift  for 
themselves.  This  faction  controlled  the  South 
Meeting  house,  but  it  lacked  the  soul  to  give  it 
life,  and  save  occasional  efforts  there  was  no 
organized  church  work  until  the  Union  society 
was  organized  in  1853. 

But  for  another  quarter  century  after  the 
passing  of  the  Precinct  the  union  under  the 
Parish  between  the  North  and  Central  societies 
continued.  Both  societies  had  the  use  of  church 
buildings,  both  were  positive  forces  in  the  com- 
munity, both  were  ambitious  to  keep  their  houses 
open  for  public  worship,  but  each  was  too  poor 
financially  to  stand  alone. 

This  policy  of  union,  desirable  as  it  seemed  to 
many,  in  the  development  of  sectarian  matters  at 
that  age,  was  unnatural.  The  tendency  of  the  age 
was  against  it,  and  gradually  we  see  the  societies 
drifting  apart. 

No  language  can  present  this  cleavage  in  a 
more  eloquent  manner  than  that  presented  by  the 
Parish  votes.  With  a  few  notable  exceptions  the 
Parish  meetings  were  held  in  the  North  meeting 
house,  and  the  old  society  leaders  disliked  to 
yield  to  the  extent  of  holding  any  of  the  services 
in  the  Central  building,  however  much  policy  may 
have  pointed  out  the  wisdom  of  such  a  course. 
And  yielding  to  this  demand  for  a  while  one-third 
of  the  services  were  held  at  the  Centre;    then 


82  HISTORY   OF    CARVER 

one-third  during  nine  months  of  the  year;  then 
one-third  for  six  months  of  the  year;  then  one 
meeting  in  every  seventh ;  then  one-third  for  five 
months  of  the  year.  In  1853  nine  services  were 
held  in  the  Central  building,  and  in  1854,  the 
year  that  witnessed  the  end  of  the  union  it  was 
voted  to  hold  one-sixth  of  the  services  in  the 
Centre  church  provided  that  society  would  pay  for 
them.  Thus  ended  the  union  of  the  two  societies 
and  long  before  the  Parish  was  abolished  it  had 
relinquished  all  claims  to  the  outlying  districts, 
confining  its  jurisdiction  to  the  northern  end  of 
the  town  with  a  section  of  Middleboro,  and  came 
to  be  known  as  the  church  and  society  of  North 
Carver. 

There  were  practical  reasons  why  the  Parish 
should  remain  intact  and  when  the  societies 
parted  the  question  of  supporting  a  minister  be- 
came a  serious  problem  for  both.  At  times  there 
was  no  settled  minister  over  the  old  society  and 
its  meeting  house  had  become  so  poor  that  it  was 
the  main  fact  that  led  to  the  resignation  of  Rev. 
Stillman  Pratt.  From  this  time  to  the  end  of  the 
career  of  the  Parish  its  annual  meetings  were 
stereotyped  affairs  —  simply  the  election  of  offi- 
cers and  a  vote  to  leave  the  affairs  of  the  Parish 
In  the  hands  of  the  Standing  Committee.  There 
were  years  when  no  Parish  meetings  were  held 
the  management  of  its  former  duties  having  been 
assumed  by  the  church.  Thus  the  Parish,  like  its 
predecessor  the  Precinct,  yielded  by  force  of  cir- 
cumstances to  newer  methods  of  church  govern- 
ment.    From  1896  to  1903  there  was  no  Parish 


SOUTH  PRECINCT  OF  PLYMPTON  83 

meeting,  and  in  1903  a  meeting  was  called  for  the 
purpose  of  deeding  the  church  building,  Parish 
meadow  and  woodlot  to  the  church,  and  in  1907 
the  final  act  —  a  vote  to  abolish  the  Parish. 

The  material  body  of  the  Precinct  was  similar 
to  that  of  our  modern  town.  A  moderator  was 
chosen  to  preside  at  the  meeting  and  its  adjourn- 
ments, and  the  annual  meeting  was  held  in  March. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  meeting  an  auditing  com- 
mittee was  chosen  to  examine  the  account  of  the 
treasurer,  and  as  the  account  was  brief  the  audi- 
tors finished  their  duty  and  reported  before  a  new 
treasurer  was  chosen. 

A  standing  committee,  annually  elected,  was 
the  executive  arm  of  the  Precinct,  bearing  the 
relation  to  its  affairs  that  a  board  of  Selectmen 
holds  in  the  affairs  of  a  town. 

Assessors  were  annually  chosen  who  assessed 
the  poles  and  estates  for  the  support  of  the  church. 
The  Baptist  church  was  the  first  to  attack  the 
work  of  the  assessors  holding  it  unfair  to  tax 
one  for  the  support  of  a  doctrine  foreign  to  his 
belief.  In  the  latter  days  of  the  Precinct  it  was 
voted  to  apply  to  the  courts  for  authority  for  the 
assessors  to  enforce  their  decrees,  an  authority 
they  already  held  but  which  had  become  obsolete 
through  public  sentiment. 

The  position  of  a  collector  was  an  undesirable 
one  and  not  until  1764  did  one  of  these  publicans 
succeed  himself.  So  unpopular  was  this  official 
as  sentiments  changed,  that  frequent  special  meet- 
ings were  necessary  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by 
the  declination  of  the  elected  officer,  and  twice  at 


84  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

least  the  Precinct  voted  to  prosecute  its  collector 
for  declining  to  qualify.  Consider  Chase  seems 
to  have  been  imbued  with  peculiar  taste  or  quali- 
fications for  this  position,  and  he  was  several 
times  accepted  after  endeavoring  to  fasten  the 
duties  on  some  other  candidate. 

The  years  1743  and  1744,  no  assessments  having 
been  made,  there  was  no  work  for  a  collector,  and 
this  situation  occurred  frequently  in  later  years. 
Sometimes  as  a  matter  of  precedent,  or  law,  a 
collector  was  chosen  and  the  Precinct  voted  that 
in  the  event  of  any  work  falling  to  him  he  ' '  should 
be  honorably  rewarded."  The  compensation  of 
this  official  varied.  Sometimes  he  was  agreed 
with  for  a  stated  amount ;  sometimes  he  was  voted 
a  commission ;  sometimes  the  collections  were  put 
up  at  auction;  and  once  at  least  the  Collector 
volunteered  to  do  the  work  for  what  he  could  col- 
lect from  people  who  resided  outside  of  the  Pre- 
cinct and  once  also  he  was  paid  by  subscription 
among  the  wealthier  residents  of  the  Precinct. 

The  most  serious  situation  confronting  a  Col- 
lector arose  in  consequence  of  the  inflation  attend- 
ing the  Revolutionary  finances.  The  Collector 
was  held  responsible  for  his  collections,  and  after 
making  his  collections  to  find  that  his  money  was 
almost  worthless  he  was  in  a  sea  of  trouble.  To 
help  him  out  of  this  dilemma  the  Precinct  voted 
to  fix  the  ratio  with  which  he  could  exchange  his 
paper  for  silver.  One  Collector  who  found  his 
receipts  heavily  loaded  with  counterfeits,  was  re- 
leased on  the  ground  that  he  ' '  took  it  ignorantly. ' ' 


SOUTH  PRECINCT  OF  PLYMPTON  85 

Frequently,  beginning  in  1781  when  the  au- 
thority of  the  Precinct  had  begun  to  wane  through 
the  persistent  mutiny  of  the  South  Meadow  peo- 
ple, two  Collectors  were  chosen,  one  for  the  North 
and  one  for  the  South.  To  fill  the  latter  position 
was  a  difficult  undertaking,  for  that  section  of  the 
Precinct  was  solidly  opposed  to  the  rates,  and  it 
was  necessary  at  times  to  vote  to  sustain  the  Col- 
lector in  the  event  of  a  law-suit  following  his  at- 
tempt, before  any  one  would  accept. 

Beginning  with  1734-35  an  agent  was  annually 
chosen  '^to  keep  the  key  to  the  meeting  house  and 
see  that  it  was  swept."  In  1765  this  agent  was 
called  the  sexton,  but  the  19th  century  was  well 
under  way  before  this  official  became  permanently 
known  under  that  designation. 

The  critic  of  the  twentieth  century  does  not 
appreciate  the  importance  of  the  Meeting  house 
of  the  seventeenth  century.  The  residents  were 
scattered  farmers  without  newspapers,  telephones 
or  railroads,  and  with  no  communication  through 
the  mails.  Even  horses  and  carriages  were  not  in 
common  use,  roads  were  rustic  and  blind,  and  the 
travelling  was  necessarily  slow.  The  custom  of 
meeting  at  the  taverns  had  not  developed  and  the 
family  really  lived  in  a  world  by  itself  unmindful 
of  the  wishes  or  circumstances  of  its  neighbors. 
It  can  readily  be  understood  how,  under  such  con- 
ditions, the  Meeting  house  should  be  regarded  as 
the  first  essential  of  civil  government,  the  centre 
where  the  isolated  people  could  meet  to  learn  of 
each  others  sorrows  and  joys,  and  to  transact 
business   of   a   common   concern.     And   the   ser- 


86  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

mon,  for  there  was  no  reading  matter  available 
and  few  could  read  even  if  they  had  the  books, 
and  thus  to  the  common  people  the  Bible  and  the 
sermon  furnished  the  only  message  between  peo- 
ple and  people.  Hence  the  erection  of  a  Meeting 
house  was  essential  before  a  community  could  be 
robed  in  the  rights,  immunities  and  powers  of  a 
civil  body. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  18th  century  the  resi- 
dents of  the  South  section  of  the  town  of  Plympton 
felt  the  necessity  of  one  of  these  Meeting  houses 
and  in  1731  the  initial  papers  were  drawn.  The 
building  was  to  be  located  on  the  hill  north  of  the 
burying  ground  and  the  subscriptions,  one  third 
in  money  and  two  thirds  in  specie,  were  payable 
to  Eichard  Dwelley  and  Isaac  Waterman.  The 
temple  was  erected  according  to  plan  between 
October,  1731,  and  December,  1732. 

The  location  of  the  Meeting  house  was  a  bone  of 
contention  from  the  start.  While  there  appears 
to  have  been  no  dissatisfaction  over  the  original 
site  the  rapid  growth  of  the  Southern  section  of 
the  new  Precinct  early  gave  rise  to  discontent 
which  became  the  subject  of  agitation  for  upwards 
of  a  century.  In  1767  a  serious  attempt  was 
made  to  move  the  building  to  a  lot  near  the  Cross 
Paths,  the  South  Meadow  people  contending  that 
the  Meeting  house  should  be  near  the  centre  of 
population,  and  as  their  polling  strength  ap- 
proached that  of  the  defenders  of  the  old  site  they 
proved  a  factor  to  be  reckoned  with.  The  ques- 
tion came  to  an  issue  at  a  Precinct  meeting  in  the 
year  above  mentioned  when  a  motion  to  move  the 


SOUTH  PRECINCT  OP  PLYMPTON  87 

building  was  defeated,  but  by  such  a  narrow  mar- 
gin that  it  did  not  end  the  agitation.  At  the  same 
meeting  it  was  voted  to  enlarge  the  building  and 
plans  were  adopted  to  carry  the  ordinance  into 
effect. 

The  South  Meadow  people  refused  to  abide  by 
this  verdict  and  they  caused  a  special  meeting  to 
be  called  to  act  upon  reconsideration.  Some 
went  so  far  as  to  demand  a  division  of  the  Pre- 
cinct. While  they  lacked  the  strength  to  force  a 
reconsideration  they  alarmed  the  old  guard  who, 
fearing  a  weak  committee  rescinded  all  previous 
orders  and  voted  with  a  sweep  ''to  take  affairs 
in  their  own  hands,"  and  in  this  drastic  manner 
the  old  building  was  enlarged,  but  against  the 
loud  protests  of  the  Southrons. 

The  South  Meadow  people  were  so  persistent 
in  the  matter  that  the  friends  of  the  Precinct  de- 
cided it  the  part  of  wisdom  to  bring  some  pressure 
to  bear  that  would  end  the  agitation.  Accord- 
ingly at  a  meeting  in  1769  it  was  voted  to  leave 
the  whole  question  to  a  disinterested  committee 
composed  of  Capt.  Josiah  Snell  of  Bridgewater, 
Col.  John  Thomas  of  Kingston  and  Thomas  May- 
hew,  Esq.,  of  Plymouth.  The  Arbitration  Board 
thus  constituted  visited  the  Precinct,  viewed  the 
situation,  heard  all  persons  interested,  and  in 
September  rendered  its  report.  The  report  coun- 
selled unity  but  decided  that  the  Cross  Paths  was 
not  a  proper  place  for  a  Meeting  house.  This 
report  silenced  the  agitation  for  a  while  but  it  did 
not  remove  the  cause  and  the  same  question  came 
up  two  generations  later  in  its  old  virile  form. 


88  HISTORY    OF    CAEVER 

This  temple  stood  for  nearly  a  century  and  un- 
til it  became  in  a  condition  unfit  for  public  uses, 
while  the  financial  condition  of  the  Precinct 
coupled  with  the  old  dissatisfaction  over  the  ques- 
tion of  a  location  interposed  serious  barriers  in 
the  way  of  the  erection  of  a  new  building. 

The  extreme  South  enders  had  erected  a  build- 
ing of  their  own,  but  as  the  Precinct  had  refused 
to  use  it  according  to  the  wishes  of  the  Proprie- 
tors, these  residents  added  their  strength  to  that 
of  the  South  Meadow  people  in  the  fight  for  the 
location  of  a  new  Precinct  Meeting  house. 

Eev.  John  Shaw  may  be  considered  as  the  last 
of  the  ministers  of  the  old  regime  and  after  he 
surrendered  his  charge  the  Precinct  rapidly  de- 
cayed. A  serious  attempt  beginning  in  1816  and 
ending  in  1821,  was  made  to  get  the  fragments  to- 
gether but  to  no  purpose.  The  line  of  cleavage 
between  the  two  societies  was  too  marked  and  to 
add  to  the  perplexities  of  the  situation  the  Congre- 
gationalists  were  hopelessly  divided  on  the  ques- 
tion of  location. 

In  1816  the  Precinct  voted  to  demolish  the  old 
structure  and  build  anew  on  the  same  site.  This 
was  the  olive  branch  held  out  by  the  old  guard  who 
really  favored  a  site  near  the  Green,  but  by  way 
of  a  compromise  this  plan  was  suggested  only  to 
be  rejected  by  the  South  Meadow  people.  Two 
weeks  later  all  previous  orders  were  reconsidered 
and  a  committee  consisting  of  Ensign  Barnabas 
Lucas,  Capt.  Joshua  Cole  and  Nathan  Cobb  named 
to  make  an  estimate  of  a  new  building.  In  Janu- 
ary following  all  votes  were  again  reconsidered 


fS 

■^ 

p 

K 

-2 

a> 

a> 

^ 

■^s 

^. 

o 

'TO 

S 
5 

00 
r— 1 

t-. 

tc 

1 

^ 

o 

H 

r_j 

^ 

o 

J 

i 

=H 

hH 

aj 

^ 

^ 

tc 

m 

O 

o 

02 

O 

o 

[if 

s 

7-t 

M 

Q 

o 

w 

OJ 

=H 

bJO 

3 

o 

o 

o 

Q 

1^ 

hH 

^ 

>s 

S 

O 

O 

1-^ 

■^ 

-^ 

o 

w 

-^ 

S 

•" 

cc 

.2^ 

15 

tS 

' — ' 

h^ 

a< 

r  T 

'^ 

TS 

J-i 

pli 

p 

OJO 

o' 

fTS 

J 

^^ 

32 

r-» 

SOUTH  PRECINCT  OF  PLYMPTON  89 

and  the  Precinct  began  anew  by  voting  an  assess- 
ment of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  on  the  pew 
holders  for  the  purpose  of  repairing  the  building. 
This  action  did  not  meet  with  success  as  the  as- 
sessment was  not  collectable  in  those  degenerate 
days  of  the  Precinct.  The  friends  of  the  Precinct 
gave  up  the  struggle  at  this  point  and  rested  until 
1819  when  they  voted  to  build  a  new  Meeting  house 
near  the  Green  provided  some  one  would  con- 
tribute the  lot,  and  in  1820  they  voted  uncon- 
ditionally to  build  a  new  Meeting  house  in  the 
North  end  of  the  Precinct.  While  the  vote  ap- 
pears on  the  Precinct  records  it  was  not  strictly 
speaking  a  Precinct  move,  and  no  serious  effort 
was  made  to  hold  the  Precinct  to  the  contract. 
The  South  and  Centre  had  retired  from  the  com- 
pact forever  and  when  the  building  was  built  it 
was  financed  by  the  Proprietors  of  the  North 
Meeting  house.  The  question  of  a  location  was 
not  settled  and  no  sooner  had  the  plan  started 
than  the  Congregationalists  of  the  Centre  united 
with  the  Baptists  to  build  the  Central  Meeting 
house.  This  union  between  the  two  sects  for  the 
erection  of  the  temple  resulted  in  its  common  use 
for  nearly  fifty  years  or  until  the  plan  of  its  con- 
struction died  a  natural  death  through  the  death 
or  neglect  of  the  Proprietors. 


PLYMPTON    IN    THE    REVOLUTION 

In  common  with  other  Old  Colony  towns  with 
one  notable  exception  Plympton  entered  seriously 
into  the  problems  that  led  to  the  Revolution. 
Not  the  least  of  the  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the 
execution  of  its  work  was  the  financial  straits 
in  which  the  town  found  itself,  and  how- 
ever heartily  she  may  have  desired  to  play  her 
part  in  the  great  struggle  she  was  hampered  by 
circumstances  beyond  her  control.  But  hers  was 
no  isolated  case  for  it  is  a  well  known  fact  that 
the  problem  of  financing  the  country  through  a 
seven  years'  destructive  war  transcended  every 
other  problem.  The  soldiers  were  ready  but  the 
means  were  lacking. 

However,  unless  the  cause  went  by  default,  the 
town  must  assist  in  caring  for  her  soldiers,  caring 
for  their  families,  and  providing  its  quota  of 
beef  and  other  necessities  called  for  by  orders  of 
the  Continental  Congress.  No  sooner  did  the 
storm  break  than  the  country's  money  and  credit 
vanished.  Attempts  to  supply  the  deficiency  by 
issuing  paper  met  the  fate  expected  for  there  was 
no  permanent  government  and  the  fiat  of  the  Con- 
tinental Congress  died  when  the  congress  ad- 
journed. What  wonder  that  the  continental  cur- 
rency, with  its  cable  cut,  soared  away  into  a  body- 
less  myth?     And  how  natural  for  people  to  use 

91 


92  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

the  term  in  measuring  items  of  no  conceivable 
value.  So  far  did  the  currency  soar  that  in  one 
year  the  town  of  PljTnpton  voted  seventy-eight 
thousand  pounds  for  war  purposes,  and  for  all 
practical  purposes  the  appropriation  may  as  well 
have  been  seventy-eight  millions,  for  however 
easily  the  appropriation  may  have  been  made  and 
the  paper  collected  it  was  forever  worthless. 
Committees  were  appointed  to  fix  the  ratio  be- 
tween the  new  and  old  ^'emitions"  and  hard 
money.  Sixty  to  one  was  easily  written  and  pro- 
posed—  not  so  easily  sustained  when  one  of  the 
quantities  compared  was  in  hiding  and  the  other 
uncontrollable.  The  Committees  might  as  well 
have  attempted  to  fix  a  ratio  of  velocity  between 
Plymouth  Rock  and  the  East  wind,  and  we  may 
smile  as  we  speculate  on  the  feverish  debates  in 
town  meeting  upon  the  question  of  accepting  the 
Committee's  report,  with  a  vote  of  non  concur- 
rence. And  so  while  we  appreciate  the  sacrifices  of 
the  soldiers  at  the  front  we  should  not  forget  the 
sacrifices  of  those  who  stayed  at  home. 

The  townspeople  shared  the  sentiment  against 
the  Stamp  Act  and  assisted  in  the  agitation  for 
its  repeal.  Its  representative  in  the  General 
Court  for  1765  was  instructed  to  act  with  the  rep- 
resentatives from  Boston,  believing  that  what 
Boston  desired,  Plympton  should  desire,  and  hav- 
ing full  faith  in  the  patriotism  and  judgment  of 
the  Boston  leaders.  The  town  voted  promptly 
against  paying  anything  from  the  Pro^dnce  treas- 
ury for  damages  sustained  in  the  disturbances 
against  the  Stamp  Act,  while  the  matter  of  erect- 


PLYMPTON  IN   THE   REVOLUTION  93 

ing  a  monument  in  honor  of  the  services  of  Pitt 
in  securing  the  repeal  of  the  obnoxious  law  it  was 
content  to  leave  at  the  discretion  of  the  General 
Court. 

Following  the  repeal  of  that  law  tariff  taxes 
became  the  storm  centre  of  the  town's  revo- 
lutionary spirit.  Here  again  the  Boston  leaders 
were  entrusted  when  it  was  voted  unanimously  to 
concur  with  the  representatives  from  the  town 
of  Boston  in  the  matter  of  boycotting  certain  im- 
ports and  of  promoting  manufacturing  in  the 
Colony.  In  1768  Capt.  John  Bradford  was  chosen 
as  the  town's  representative  to  a  convention  in 
Faneuil  hall  **to  take  under  consideration  the 
dangerous  situation  we  apprehend  this  Province 
is  in."  Gov.  Bernard  had  dissolved  the  General 
Court  at  a  time  when  the  Colonists  were  appre- 
hensive of  an  attack  from  the  French,  and  fearful 
of  the  loss,  through  British  usurpation,  of  their 
civil  and  religious  liberties. 

In  July,  1774,  Capt.  George  Bryant,  William 
Ripley,  Dea.  Samuel  Lucas,  Capt.  Seth  Cushing, 
Dea.  Thomas  Savery,  Benjamin  Shurtleff  and 
Joseph  Perkins  were  named  as  a  committee  to 
consider  the  alarming  state  of  public  affairs  and 
report  at  a  later  meeting.  This  report  indicates 
the  seriousness  with  which  the  committee  viewed 
the  situation  and  their  resolution  to  meet  it  firmly. 
The  report  says : 

"In  the  first  place  we  recommend  unto  all  to 
be  deeply  humble  before  God  under  a  deep  sense 
of  the  many  aggravated  sins  which  abound  in  the 
land  in  this  day  of  our  calamity  which  is  the 


94  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

fundamental  cause  of  all  the  calamities  that  we 
feel  or  fear  and  repent  and  turn  to  God  with  our 
whole  hearts.  Then  we  may  humbly  hope  that 
God  will  graciously  be  pleased  to  return  unto  us 
and  appear  for  our  deliverance  and  save  us  from 
the  distress  we  are  now  laboring  under  and  pre- 
vent larger  calamities  coming  upon  us. 

"We  also  recommend  that  the  town  by  no  means 
to  be  concerned  in  purchasing  or  consuming  any 
goods  imported  from  Great  Britain  after  the 
first  day  of  October  next  and  until  our  grievances 
are  removed,  and  with  regard  to  entering  into  any 
combination  respecting  purchasing  goods  im- 
ported from  Great  Briton  we  humbly  conceive  it 
would  be  very  improper  to  act  anything  of  that 
nature  until  the  result  of  Congress  shall  be  made 
public  and  upon  the  report  thereof  we  advise  the 
town  to  be  very  active  in  pursuing  the  most  regu- 
lar method  in  order  to  promote  the  good  of  the 
public  and  the  flourishing  state  of  the  same. ' ' 

The  above  committee  with  the  addition  of  David 
Megone,  James  Harlow,  John  Bridgham,  John 
Shaw,  Isaiah  Cushman  and  Isaac  Churchill  were 
continued  to  act  upon  the  report  of  the  Contin- 
ental Congress. 

The  struggle  was  on  in  earnest  now  and  there 
shall  be  no  turning  back  until  we  are  freed  from 
British  power.  Seriously  and  carefully  but 
firmly  the  town  stood  by  the  provisions  of  the 
Congress  and  the  proposals  of  the  patriot  leaders 
for  furthering  these  ends.  Families  and  friends 
must  be  separated,  brothers  may  strike  at  each 
other  from  opposing  sides  in  the  bloody  conflict, 


PLYMPTON  IN  THE   REVOLUTION  95 

for  in  the  dark  hour  of  war  more  emphatically 
than  at  any  other  time  is  fulfilled  the  saying  of  the 
prophets :  "Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon. ' ' 
The  out  and  out  Tories  departed  and  their  lands 
were  seized  and  rented  for  the  benefit  of  the 
town  treasury. 

Another  considerable  faction  with  Tory  learn- 
ings that  could  not  go  to  the  extent  of  forsaking 
property  and  associations  whose  voice  was  always 
on  the  side  of  regularity  and  who  constantly 
scanned  the  cloudy  horizon  for  the  star  of  peace 
that  would  compromise  the  differences  between 
crown  and  subject.  When  in  1775  the  town  voted 
to  pay  the  Province  tax  to  Henry  Gardner  of  Stow 
instead  of  to  the  Province  Treasurer  these  con- 
servatives called  a  special  town  meeting  to  act 
upon  reconsideration.  It  is  admitted  that  these 
conservatives  had  regularity  on  their  side  but  the 
town  had  cast  its  lot  in  the  vortex  of  revolution 
where  precedent  and  regularity  are  abolished  and 
by  a  large  majority  it  refused  to  reconsider  its 
revolutionary  action. 

In  that  tempestuous  year  of  1774,  Plympton's 
representative  in  the  General  Court  was  in- 
structed to  ''do  nothing  that  is  inconsistent  with 
our  charter  rights  and  privileges,"  but  in  case  the 
Governor  should  adjourn  the  Court  to  Boston  said 
representative  must  refuse  to  attend,  unless  the 
Governor  would  first  remove  the  British  soldiers 
from  the  town.  Deacon  Samuel  Lucas  was  chosen 
as  the  town's  representative  to  a  Provincial  con- 
gress at  Concord. 


96  HISTORY    OF    CAHVER 

Early  in  1776  a  committee  of  six  was  named  to 
solicit  for  the  poor  of  Boston  and  Cliarlestown, 
and  Capt.  Seth  Gushing  was  chosen  representative 
to  the  General  Court  to  be  holden  in  Watertown. 
The  following  Committee  of  Safety,  Correspond- 
ence and  Kefraction  was  chosen  by  the  town: 
Thomas  Savery,  Thomas  Loring,  Jr.,  Isaiah  Cush- 
man,  Eleazer  Crocker,  Joshua  Perkins  and  Ben- 
jamin Ward.  And  in  these  stirring  pre-revolu- 
tionary  days,  the  town  of  Plympton  discounted 
the  Continental  Congress  by  forty-two  days,  de- 
claring for  independence  at  a  town  meeting  May 
23d  when,  according  to  the  records  of  the  town 
clerk,  * '  voted  unanimously  independence  of  Great 
Briton,"  and  caused  the  Selectmen  to  take  a  spe- 
cial oath  to  take  a  full  account  of  the  number  of 
the  inhabitants  of  this  town  agreeable  to  the  order 
of  the  Continental  Congress. 

In  the  last  years  of  the  war  the  town  had  to 
exert  itself  to  fill  its  quotas,  and  the  calls  were 
provided  in  town  meetings.  Years  of  hardships, 
financial  discouragements  and  uncertainties,  had 
made  enlisting  hazardous,  but  the  town  found  a 
way  to  hold  its  own  and  its  quotas  were  always 
provided  for.  It  is  fair  to  state  that  the  total 
enlistments,  including  re-enlistments  from  the 
town  during  the  war  equalled  one-third  of  the 
population.  The  olive  branch  was  never  held  out 
to  the  Tories.  In  1783  it  was  voted  ''not  to  re- 
ceive any  of  the  Kefugees  which  had  fled  to  the 
enemy  for  protection  into  this  town,"  and  to  em- 
phasize the  vote  it  was  voted  to  hire  out  their 
lands  and  turn  the  rentals  into  the  town  treasury. 


w 


PLYMPTON  IN  THE   REVOLUTION  97 

The  town  sent  two  representatives  to  the  con- 
vention that  framed  the  Constitution  of  1780.  The 
representatives  made  their  report,  bnt  the  records 
are  silent  as  to  any  final  action.  It  is  probable 
that  there  was  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the 
merits  of  the  instrument  which  was  compromised 
by  delay.  In  1780  the  following  committees  were 
chosen  to  report  at  a  subsequent  town  meeting, 
work  and  places  of  service  of  the  various  soldiers 
who  had  served  in  the  revolutionary  army  from 
Plympton : 

For  Capt.  Sampson's  company:  Isaiah  Cush- 
man,  Isaac  Churchill,  Sylvanus  Bartlett. 

For  Capt.  Harlow's  company:  Timothy  Ripley, 
Dr.  Dean,  Benjamin  Cushman. 

For  Capt.  Shaw's  company:  Nehemiah  Cobb, 
Eleazer  Crocker,  Deacon  Lucas. 

For  Capt.  Hammond's  company:  Joseph  Bar- 
rows, Benjamin  Ward. 

It  is  known  that  these  committees  performed 
the  work  assigned  them  and  made  a  full  report  to 
the  town.  The  report  was  not  recorded  nor  does 
it  appear  that  it  was  formally  adopted.  Such  a 
paper  would  have  been  of  great  assistance  in  the 
matter  of  securing  pensions  for  the  veterans,  and 
from  the  historical  standpoint  the  loss  is  irre- 
parable. Wliy  the  paper  was  not  recorded  may 
be  a  matter  of  conjecture,  but  upon  this  point 
Lewis  Bradford*  speaks  plainly,  using  the  word 
"embezzled"  to  express  his  indignation. 

*Lewis  Bradford  was  town  clerk  of  Plympton  from  1812  to 
1851.  His  records  are  replete  with  historical  sketches,  genealogical 
items,  and  explanations,  making  the  town  records  of  Plympton 
unique  and  instructive  from  the  historical  standpoint. 


98  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Marslifield  was  the  one  point  in  the  Old  Colony 
where  Tory  sentiment  predominated,  and  had  the 
fortunes  of  war  elected  that  the  initial  battle  of 
the  Revolution  should  be  fought  among  these  hills, 
it  is  evident  the  Red  Coats  would  have  met  with 
a  reception  even  more  vehement  than  they  experi- 
enced on  Lexington  green.  When  the  report  that 
a  detachment  had  been  sent  from  Boston  to  rein- 
force the  Crown  sympathizers  in  the  neighboring 
town  spread,  the  military  spirit  of  the  Old  Colony 
awoke  and  there  was  consequently  much  excite- 
ment in  this  region,  and  on  the  very  day  that  the 
patriots  of  Concord  and  Lexington  were  ''firing 
the  shot  heard  'round  the  world, ' '  nearly  two  hun- 
dred fellow  patriots  of  Plympton  were  hurrying 
across  the  country  to  fire  a  similar  shot  in  Marsh- 
field.  So  large  a  force  marching  out  of  so 
sparsely  settled  a  community  reads  more  like  a 
crusade  than  a  military  uprising,  and  in  so 
unanimous  a  cause  the  farmer's  wives  and  daugh- 
ters must  have  watched  the  proceedings  with  in- 
tense interest. 

There  are  obstacles  in  the  way  of  obtaining  a 
complete  and  reliable  list  of  the  soldiers  that 
fought  in  that  war  for  the  credit  of  Plympton  and 
a  more  or  less  indefinite  list  must  necessarily  fol- 
low. The  town  records  are  silent  in  the  matter, 
and  there  is  danger  of  mistakes  from  both  sides 
of  the  reckoning  in  making  up  the  list  from  the 
pay  rolls  on  file.  The  fact  that  a  roll  was  sworn 
to  in  Plympton,  may  not  be  prima  facie  evidence 
that  the  soldiers  were  invariably  PljTnpton  sol- 


PLYMPTON  IN  THE   REVOLUTION  99 

diers,  and  on  the  contrary  the  town  may  have  had 
soldiers  whose  names  are  lost  in  the  unsystematic 
methods  of  recording.  Often  a  name  appears  on 
the  rolls  many  times  and  it  is  not  always  easy  to 
determine  whether  it  is  a  repetition  of  the  same 
person,  or  a  record  of  two  or  more  soldiers  by 
the  same  name. 

Companies  were  raised  in  Plymouth  County 
and  it  is  fair  to  assume,  that  these  embraced 
Plympton  soldiers.  In  justification  of  this,  many 
names  appear  on  these  unidentified  rolls — names 
that  sound  familiar — but  with  nothing  to  identify 
them  they  must  be  omitted  from  the  list. 

There  were  Plympton*  men  in  at  least  five 
military  companies  at  the  breaking  out  of  hostili- 
ties, and  these  companies  after  the  march  to 
Marshfield,  were  reorganized  and  continued  in  the 
militia  during  the  war.  The  army  was  often 
recruited  from  the  ranks  of  the  militia,  detach- 
ments, and  sometimes  the  whole  company''  being 
detached    to    reinforce    the    Continental    army 

*Deborah  Sampson,  while  not  in  the  service  to  the  credit  of 
her  native  town  for  well-known  reasons,  has  earned  a  place  in 
Plympton 's  story  of  the  Eevolution.  She  was  born  Dee.  17,  1760, 
a  descendant  of  Governor  Bradford,  Myles  Standish  and  John 
Alden.  In  the  latter  years  of  the  war,  dressed  in  male  attire,  she 
enlisted  at  Bellingham  for  the  credit  of  the  town  of  Uxbridge 
under  the  name  of  Eobert  Shurtleff.  She  was  severely  wounded, 
in  1782,  but  succeeded  in  hiding  her  identity;  but,  being  stricken 
the  following  year  with  a  fever,  she  was  sent  to  a  hospital  in 
Philadelphia,  where  her  physician  discovered  her  sex  and  caused 
her  discharge.  By  a  special  provision  her  name  was  added  to 
the  i^ension  list,  and  after  her  death  the  pension  went  to  her 
husband,  Benjamin  Gannett,  as  a  "soldier's  widow."  She  was 
specially  honored  by  the  state  and  nation. 


100  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

temporarily,  to  be  returned  to  the  ranks  of  tlie 
militia  after  the  crisis  had  passed. 

The  following  commissioned  officers  were  in  the 
service  at  various  times  during  the  Eevolutionary 
conflict : 

Capt.  William  Atwood:  Marched  with  his 
company  to  Marshfield. 

Capt.  John  Bradford:  Marched  with  his  com- 
pany to  Marshfield;  continued  in  the  militia  as 
Captain  in  1775  and  1776,  serving  as  Continental 
agent. 

Capt.  John  Bridgham :  Marched  with  his  com- 
pany to  Marshfield ;  Captain  in  the  militia  in  1775, 
and  in  Capt.  Cotton's  company  in  Rhode  Island 
in  1778. 

Capt.  George  Hammond:  Private  in  Capt. 
Shaw's  company  at  Marshfield;  commissioned  as 
Captain  of  the  militia  in  1776  and  serving  until 
1778. 

Capt.  Thomas  Samson:  Sergt.  in  Capt.  Brad- 
ford's company  at  Marshfield;  ensign  in  the 
militia  in  1775;  Captain  of  a  company  of  militia 
1776;  marched  with  his  company  to  Bristol,  R.  I., 
on  an  alarm  December,  1776 ;  went  on  a  secret  ex- 
pedition against  Newport,  R.  I.,  September- 
October,  1777;  Captain  in  the  militia  1778;  in 
command  of  a  company  in  Rhode  Island  in  1781 
three  days. 

Capt.  Nathaniel  Shaw :  Marched  with  his  com- 
pany to  Marshfield ;  in  the  militia  1776 ;  marched 
with  his  company  to  Bristol,  R.  I.,  on  an  alarm 
December,  1776 ;  also  Captain  in  the  militia  1778. 


PLYMPTON  IN  THE   REVOLUTION        101 

Lieut.  Elijah  Bisbee,  Jr. :  Sergt.  in  Capt.  Lor- 
ing's  company  at  Marshfield;  Lieutenant  in  Capt. 
Ebenezer  Washburn's  company  in  Rhode  Island 
1776;  in  command  of  Capt.  James  Harlow's  com- 
pany at  Bristol,  E.  I.,  1777 ;  at  Castle  Island  1778. 

Lieut.  Nehemiah  Cobb:  Lieutenant  in  Capt. 
Bridgham's  company  at  Marshfield;  Lieutenant 
in  militia  1775  to  1780;  in  detachment  to  rein- 
force Continental  army  in  Rhode  Island  in  1780 
three  months. 

Lieut.  Joseph  Cole:  Private  in  Capt.  Shaw's 
company  at  Marshfield ;  commissioned  Lieutenant 
1776;  Second  Lieutenant  with  Lieut.  Frances 
Shurtleff  at  Bristol;  in  Capt.  Sampson's  company 
secret  expedition  against  Newport;  Second  Lieu- 
tenant, Capt.  Ebenezer  Washburn's  company 
1778. 

Lieut.  Joshua  Loring:  Sergeant  and  ensign 
1776-77-78;  commissioned  Lieutenant  May  1779; 
in  Capt.  Jacob  Haskins'  company  1779-80. 

Lieut.  Joshua  Perkins :  Sergeant  in  Capt. 
Shaw's  company  at  Marshfield;  commissioned 
Lieutenant  1776,  Capt.  George  Hammond's  com- 
pany ;  in  command  of  a  detachment  from  the  com- 
pany that  was  sent  to  Bristol,  R.  I.  on  an  alarm 
in  March  1777;  Lieutenant  in  Capt.  Hammond's 
company  in  1778;  also  in  Capt.  Calvin  Partridge's 
company  stationed  at  Dorchester  Heights  1^78. 

Lieut.  Zephaniah  Perkins :  Lieutenant  in  Capt. 
Thomas  Samson's  company  in  1776;  also  Lieu- 
tenant in  same  company  at  Bristol,  1776  and  1778. 

Lieut.  John  Shaw:  Sergeant  in  Capt.  At- 
wood's  company  at  Marshfield;  Second  Lieuten- 


102  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

ant  in  Capt.  George  Hammond's  company  1776; 
Second  Lieutenant  in  Capt.  Shaw's  comjjany  at 
Bristol  1776,  and  in  Capt.  Hammond's  company 
1778. 

Lieut.  Frances  Sliurtleff:  Lieutenant  in  Capt. 
Shaw's  company  1776;  in  command  of  a  detach- 
ment that  was  sent  to  Bristol,  R.  I.  on  an  alarm, 
December,  1776 ;  Lieutenant  in  Capt.  Shaw 's  com- 
pany 1778. 

Lieut.  Silas  Sturtevant :  Second  Lieutenant  in 
Capt.  Thomas  Samson's  company,  commissioned 
1778;  Lieutenant  in  Capt.  Samson's  company  in 
Rhode  Island  1781. 

Lieut.  Job  Weston:  Sergeant,  Capt.  Loring's 
company  Marshfield;  Second  Lieutenant,  Capt. 
James  Harlow's  company  1776;  commissioned 
1776,  Second  Lieutenant  of  Capt.  James  Harlow's 
company  commanded  by  Lieut.  Elijah  Bisbee,  Jr., 
Bristol  1776;  Third  Lieutenant,  Capt.  Samson's 
company  secret  expedition  against  Newport; 
Second  Lieutenant,  Capt.  James  Harlow's  com- 
pany 1778;  Lieutenant,  Capt.  Jesse  Sturtevant 's 
company  detached  from  militia  to  reinforce  Con- 
tinental army  three  months  in  Rhode  Island  1780. 

Those  whose  service  was  limited  to  the  march 
to  Marshfield: 

Capt.  William  Atwood  Salathiel  Biimpus 

Sergt.  Joseph  Atwood  Rowland  Hammond 

Nathaniel  Atwood  Bartlett  Murdoek 

2nd  Lieut.  Joseph  Barrows  Thomas  IMuxam 

Corp.  Simmons  Barrows  Gideon  Perkins 

Jonathan  Barrows  Robert  Sturtevant 
Benjamin  Benson 


PLYMPTON  IN  THE   REVOLUTION 


103 


Capt.  Thomas  Loring 
Ensign  Ignatius  Loring 
Sergt.  James  Churchill 
James  Bishop,  Jr. 
Nathaniel  Bonney,  Jr. 
Ebenezer  Bonney 
Noah  Bosworth 
Winslow  Bradford 
Ephraim  Bryant 
Joseph  Bryant 
Joshua  Bryant 
Isaac  Churchill,  Jr. 
Isaac  Churchill,  3d 
John  Churchill 
Nathaniel  Churchill 
Elkanah  Cushman,  Jr. 
Isaiah  Cushman,  Jr. 
Samuel  Cushman 
Thomas  Cushman 


Abner  Hall 
Thomas  Harlow 
Job  Holmes 
Job  Holmes,  Jr. 
Joshua  Loring 
Josiah  Perkins,  Jr. 
Luke  Perkins 
Nathaniel  Pratt,  Jr. 
Jonathan  Rickard 
Nathaniel  Rider 
Joseph  Ripley 
Josiah  Ripley 
Timothy  Ripley,  Jr. 
Henry  Samson 
Noah  Sturtevant 
Zadok  Weston 
Elisha  "Whitten,  Jr. 
Adam  Wright 
Benjamin  Wright 


(In  Capt.  Bradford's  company). 
Corp.  Issacher  Bisbee  Heman   Crocker 

Sylvanus  Bartlett  Isaac  Cushman 

Nathaniel  Churchill  Joel  Ellis 

Stephen  Churchill 

(In  Capt.  Bridgham's  company). 
Sergt.  Bartlett  Murdock  Daniel  Pratt 

Ephraim  Griffith  Eleazer  Robbins 

Simeon  Holmes  John  Shaw 

Joseph  Lucas  David  Wood 

(In  Capt.  Shaw's  company). 
Sergt.  Eleazer  Crocker  Caleb  Atwood 

Sergt.  Elisha  Lucas  John  Atwood 

Corp.  Eleazer  Rickard.  Jr.       James  Doten 
Drummer  Isaiah  Tillson         Sylvanus  Dunham 


104  HISTORY   OF    CARVER 

Daniel  Faunce  John  Shurtleff 

Nehemiah  Lucas  Edward  Stevens,  Jr. 

John  Rickard  John  Stevens 

Benjamin  Shaw  Daniel  Vaughan,  Jr. 

Benjamin  Shaw,  Jr.  Joseph  Vaughan 

Jonathan  Shaw  David  "Wood 

Those  whose  service  was  limited  to  the  detach- 
ment imder  Lieut.  Frances  Shurtleff  to  Bristol, 
E.  L,  in  December,  1776 : 
Sergt.  Consider  Chase  Nehemiah  Cobb 

Sergt.  Timothy  Cobb  David  Ransom,  Jr. 

Those  whose  service  was  limited  to  Capt. 
Thomas  Samson's  company  that  marched  to  Bris- 
tol, E.  L,  in  1776 : 

Drum.  Shadraeh  Standish        Isaac  Loring 
John  Bradford  James  Magoon 

John  Churchill  Asaph  Soule 

Those  whose  service  was  limited  to  the  march 
to  Bristol,  E.  I.,  under  Lieut.  Elijah  Bisbee,  Jr., 
in  1777 : 

Sergt.  Joel  Ellis,  Jr.  EHsha  Whitton 

Joshua  Loring  Joseph  Wright 

Corp.  Nathaniel  Sherman       Samuel  Wright,  2nd 

Those  whose  service  was  limited  to  the  detach- 
ment under  Lieut.  Joshua  Perkins,  which  went  to 
Bristol,  E.  L,  in  1777 : 
Sergt.  Joseph  Barrows  Ellis  Griffith 

Corp.  Simeon  Barrows  Bartlett  Murdock 

Those  whose  services  was  limited  to  Capt.  Sam- 
son 's  secret  expedition  against  Newport  in  1777 : 
Isaac  Bisbee  Samuel  Bradford 

Jonathan  Barrows  Benjamin  Ransom 


PLYMPTON  IN  THE  EEVOLUTION 


105 


Those  whose  service  was  limited  to  Capt.  Sam- 
son's three  days  expedition  to  Rhode  Island  in 
1781: 


Levi  Atwood 
WiUiam  Cobb 
Edmund  Cole,  Jr. 
Benjamin  Bos  worth 
Consider  Briant 
Caleb  Churchill 
Samuel  Fuller 
Ichabod  Hatch 
William  Harlow 

Those  at  Marshfield 
militia : 
Caleb  Atwood 
Abner  Barrows 
William  Barrows 
Abner  Bisbee,  Corp. 
George  Bisbee,  Corp. 
Issacher  Bisbee,  Corp. 
John  Bisbee 
Noah  Bisbee 
James  Bishop 
Samuel  Bonney 
Simeon  Bonney 
Perez  Bradford 
Gideon  Bradford,  Jr. 
John  Bridgham,  Jr.,  Sergt, 
Benjamin  Bryant,  Corp. 
Levi  Bryant,  Fifer 
Zenas  Bryant,   Drummer 
Benjamin  Cobb,  Corp. 
Jonathan  Cobb 
Nathan  Cobb 


Joshua  Palmer 
Josiah  Parrish 
Calvin  Perkins 
Ebenezer  Ransom,  Jr. 
Frances  Ripley 
Asa  Soule 
Zephaniah  Soule 
Caleb  Sturtevant 
Eliphalet  Waterman 

and  other  services  in  the 

Samuel  Cobb 
John  Chamberlain,  Corp. 
Daniel  Churchill,  Jr. 
Ebenezer  Churchill 
Elias  Churchill 
John  Churchill 
Joshua  Churchill 
William  Churchill 
Joseph  Crocker,  Corp. 
Benjamin  Cushman 
Jacob  Cushman 
Josiah  Cushman 
Zachariah  Cushman 
Amaziah  Doten 
John  Dunham 
Silas  Dunham 
Freeman  Ellis,  Sergt. 
Stephen  Ellis 
Nathaniel  Fuller 
John  Fuller 


106 


HISTORY   OF   CARVER 


Barnabas  Harlow,  Corp. 
Nathaniel  Harlow 
Ebenezer  Lobdell,  Corp. 
Caleb  Loring 

Ignatius  Loring,  Jr.,  Fifer 
Ezekiel  Loring,  2nd  Lieut. 
Elijah  Lucas 
Samuel  Lucas 
John  Muxani 
Joseph  Perkins 
Josiah  Perkins 
Ebenezer  Ransom 
Elijah  Ransom 
Joseph  Ransom 
Isaac  Rickard 
Lemuel  Rickard 
Theodore  Rickard 
Isaiah  Ripley 
Samuel  Ripley,  Corp. 
Peleg  Samson 


Zabdial  Samson 

Ambrose  Shaw 

Caesar  Smith 

Ebenezer  Soule,  Corp. 

Zachariah  Standish 

Lemuel  Stevens 

William  Stevens 

Cornelius  Sturtevant,  Ser. 

Frances  Sturtevant,  Corp. 

Isaiah  Thomas 

Ichabod  Tillson,  Drummer 

John  Tillson 

Benj.  "Ward,  2nd  Lieut. 

Jabez  Weston 

Isaac  Wright 

Joseph  Wright 

Joseph  Wright 

Levi  Wright 

Samuel  Wright 


Those  who  served  at  Marshfield  and  later  in  the 


Continental  army: 
William  Cobb 
Ebenezer  Dunham 
Simeon  Dunham 
Issacher  Fuller 
Lazarus  Harlow 
Barnabas  Lucas 
Elijah  McFarlin 


Daniel  Soule 
Silas  Sturtevant 
William  Sturtevant 
Peter  Thayer 
Benjamin  Tubbs 
John  Washburn 


Those  who  served  at  Marshfield  and  in  Capt. 
Samson's  secret  expedition  against  Newport: 
Josiah  Chandler  Edward  Stevens 

Ebenezer  Cushman  Jacob  Wright 

Gideon  Samson 


J  ION.  BENJAMIN  ELLIS 


PLYMPTON  IN  THE  REVOLUTION 


107 


Those  who  served  at  Marshfield  and  with  Lieut. 
Joshua  Perkins  at  Bristol : 


Andrew  Barrows 
Peleg  Barrows,  Corp. 
James  Murdock,  Lieut. 
Jabez  Muxam 


Abial  Shurtleff 
Joshua  Totman 
William  Washburn, 


Sergt. 


Those  who  served  at  Marshfield  and  with  Lieut. 
Frances  Shurtleff  at  Bristol : 


Hezekiah  Cole 
Isaac  Shaw  Lucas 
John  Lucas 
Eleazer  Robbins 


Thomas  Savery 
Benjamin  Shurtleff,  Jr. 
Daniel  Vaughan 
Samuel  Vaughan,  Sergt. 


Those  who  served  in  the  militia  and  later  in  the 
Continental  army: 


Asa  Barrows 
Barnabas  Cobb 
Roland  Cobb 
Ephraim  Cole* 
Joseph  Chamberlain 
Joshua  Churchill 
Stephen  Churchill 
Thomas  Doten 
Thomas  Doty 
Noah  Fuller 
Benjamin  Fuller 


Eleazer  Holmes 

Jonathan  Holmes 

George  Harlow 

John  King 

Isaac  Lucas 

Ezra  Perry 

Ephraim  Pratt 

Ebenezer  Standish,  Corp. 

Moses  Standish 

Asa  Sturtevant 

Isaac  Tinkham 


*Ephraim  Cole,  Joseph  Chamberlain,  Thomas  Boty,  John  King, 
Barnabas  Lucas,  Benjamin  Lucas,  Elijah  Eickard,  William  Sturte- 
vant and  William  Whiting  are  known  to  have  been  in  camp  at 
Valley  Forge.     Cole,  and  possibly  others,  died  there. 


108 


HISTORY   OF   CARVER 


Those  who  served  in  the  militia  for  varying 
periods;  some  probably  served  in  detachments 
that  reinforced  the  Continental  army  at  critical 
times : 


Ichabod  Atwood 
Stephen  Atwood 
Ephraim  Barrows 
Malaehi  Barrows 
Carver  Barrows 
Moses  Barrows 
John  Bartlett 
Jephtha  Benson 
Calvin  Bradford 
William  Bradford 
Daniel  Bumpus 
David  Bumpus 
Setli  Bump 

Benjamin  Briant,  Corp. 
Joshua  Briant 
Nathan  Briant 
Samuel  Bridgham 
Gersham  Cole 
Zebedee  Chandler 
David  Churchill 
Ebenezer  Churchill 
Elias  Churchill 
Joseph  Churchill 
John  Churchill,  Sergt. 
Timothy  Churchill 
Benjamin  Crocker 
Isaiah  Cushman 
"William  Cushman 
Seth  Doten 


Asa  Dunham 
Israel  Dunham 
Robert  Harlow 
Ezekiel  Johnson 
Seth  Johnson 
Isaac  Lobdel 
Simeon  Loring 
Abijah  Lucas 
Asahel  Lyon 
Joseph  McFarlin 
William  Morrison 
Ephraim  Morse 
Steven  Raymond 
Elijah  Richards,  Corp. 
Abner  Rickard 
Eleazer  Rickard 
Eleazer  Ripley 
David  Slmrtleff 
Gideon    Shurtleff 
Ephraim  Soule 
James  Soule 
Sylvanus  Stevens 
Nehemiah  Sturtevant 
Ephraim  Tinkham 
Joseph  Wliitten 
Joseph  Wright 
Joshua  Wright 
Zadok  Wright 


PLYMPTON  IN  THE  REVOLUTION 


109 


Those  who  served  at  Marshfield,  in  the  militia, 
and  in  the  Continental  army : 
John  Barnes  Abner  Harlow 

Benjamin  Blossom  Asa  Hooper 

Jacob  Bryant  Samuel  Lucas,  3d 

Caleb  Cushman  Noah  Pratt 

Elijah  Dunham  "William  Ripley 

Those  whose  service  was  limited  to  the  Con- 
tinental army  who  served  for  periods  of  various 
lengths : 


John  Appling 
Benjamin  Barrows 
Malachi  Barrows 
John  Bates 
Elnathan  Benson 
Reuben  Bisbee 
Isaac  Bonney 
James  Bonney 
Oliver  Bradford 
Sylvanus  Brimhall 
Ford  Bryant 
Luther  Bryant 
Luther  Bryant 
Patrick  Bryant,  Sergt. 
Samuel  Bryant 
Joseph  Chamberlain 
Stephen  Churchill 
Andrew  Cushman 
Isaiah  Cushman 
Thomas  Cushman,  Jr.,  Corp. 
Zebedee  Cushman 
James  Dunham,  Jr. 


Noah  Eaton 

William  Gardner 

Ellis  Griffith 

Ferdinand     Hall,     Drum 

major 
Elijah  Harlow  (died) 
James  Harlow 
William  Harlow 
Eleazer  Holmes 
Jonathan  Holmes,  Corp. 
Barnabas  Jackson 
Jacob  Loring 
Benjamin  Lucas 
Consider  Lucas 
Elisha  Lucas 
Ephraim  Lucas 
Zebedee  Lyon 
David  McFarlin   (died) 
Elijah  McFarlin 
John  Morris    (died) 
Elisha  Morton 
Pero  Murder*  (negro) 


^Discharged  by  General  Washington  for  meritorious  service. 


110 


HISTORY   OF   CARVER 


Edward  Murdock 
Jesse  Murdock 
Swaii2;ey  Murdock 
Prince  Newport  (negro) 
Ebenezer  Perkins 
John  Perkins 
Josiah  Perkins 
Consider  Pratt 
Benjamin  Pratt 
Nathaniel  Pratt 
Elijah  Rickard 
Frances  Ripley 
Jacob  Loring  Ruggles 
"William  Sampson 
Ichabod  Shurtleff 
Peleg  Standish 


Caleb  Stetson 
David  Sturtevant 
Frances  Sturtevant,  Jr. 
John  Taylor  (died) 
Isaac  Thayer 
Joseph  Tinkham 
Robert  Waterman 
Samuel  West 
William  Whiting 
Isaac  Whitten 
William  Whitten 
Ebenezer  Wright 
Edmund  Wright 
Joseph  Wright 
Joseph  Wright 
Nathan  Wright 


IiriT  McFARLIN 


THE  CONGREGATIONALIST  CHURCH 

The  history  of  this  societj^  to  the  close  of  the 
ministry  of  Rev.  John  Howland,  is  identical  with 
the  history  of  the  Precinct.  The  last  years  of  the 
Howland  ministry  marked  the  beginning  of  the 
dissolution  of  the  Precinct  and  from  that  period 
societies  and  sects  began  to  multiply. 

After  the  death  of  that  remarkable  man  who 
had  watched  over  the  society  from  1744  to  1805, 
the  church  faced  the  problem  of  choosing  his  suc- 
cessor and  that  at  a  time  when  it  was  weakened 
by  dissensions.  After  trying  in  vain  to  reach  a 
settlement  with  Lothrop  Thompson  and  Gaines 
Conant,  John  Shaw  was  ordained  October  7,  1807, 
and  became  the  third  ordained  minister  of  the 
church.  The  new  pastor  was  destined  to  pass 
through  a  trying  ordeal  which  should  tax  his  re- 
sources, involve  him  in  debt,  and  at  the  same  time 
bring  out  the  tact  and  compromising  spirit  that 
mark  him  as  a  worthy  successor  to  John  Howland. 
Financial  troubles  at  length  compelled  him  to  re- 
sign and  at  a  Council  in  1815,  he  was  formally  dis- 
missed. There  was  still  a  tender  feeling  between 
pastor  and  people  and  he  left  the  charge  with  a 
hearty  recommendation  from  the  church. 

Doctrinal  disputes  had  appeared  with  the  incep- 
tion of  baptism  in  the  Precinct  a  quarter  century 
previous  to  the  ministry  of  Shaw.      For  a  time 

111 


112  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

the  dominating  spirits  of  the  churcli  kept  a  ruling 
hand  on  the  situation,  but  as  the  devotees  of  the 
new  faith  increased  in  numbers,  the  cleavage  be- 
came more  marked,  and  only  the  diplomatic 
powers  of  Howland  kept  up  the  semblance  of 
union.  And  these  disputes  came  as  a  legacy  to 
Howland 's  successor,  and  to  break  out  anew  and 
to  ultimately  divide  the  Precinct  after  Shaw  left 
the  ministry. 

There  was  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  majority 
to  see  the  union  continued,  and  this  desire  was 
shared  by  the  Baptists.  But  there  were  doctrinal 
reasons  which  stood  in  the  way  of  a  lasting  union. 
An  early  attempt  was  made  to  avert  disintegration 
by  the  abrogation  of  the  12th  article  of  faith* 
whenever  a  Baptist  was  admitted  to  the  church 
membership.  An  amendment  reserving  the  right 
to  convince  the  new  member  of  the  error  of  his 
ways  by  argument  pacified  the  radicals,  and  prob- 
ably a  more  effective  way  of  keeping  alive  the 
embers  of  discord  could  not  have  been  devised. 
This  article  was  the  rock  on  which  the  societies 
split.  Benjamin  Shurtleff,  a  leading  member  of 
the  old  society,  petitioned  his  church  to  expunge 
the  article  from  its  creed,  but  after  a  long  hearing 
the  petition  was  turned  down  and  Shurtleff  had  no 
alternative  but  to  withdraw  and  join  the  Baptist 
society. 

For  twelve  years  after  Shaw  left  the  ministry 
of  the  old  society,  and  Cummings  the  ministry  of 
the  new  society,  there  was  no  ordained  pastor  over 

*The  12th  Article  of  faith  related  to  infant  baptism. 


HENRY  SIIEKMAN 


CONGREGATIONALIST   CHURCH  113 

either.  Church  meetings  were  regularly  held  and 
each  society  manoeuvred  for  itself,  but  the  meet- 
ings were  so  lightly  attended  that  the  leaders  be- 
came alarmed  and  their  united  efforts  fanned  the 
memorable  revival  of  1823.  Rev.  Luther  Wright 
was  stationed  over  the  societies  and  September 
14th  was  set  apart  as  a  day  when  all  of  the  com- 
municants should  go  forward  and  acknowledge 
their  sins.  Accordingly  at  the  appointed  time, 
the  church  was  filled  and  when  the  invitation  was 
given  all  left  their  seats  and  standing  in  the  aisles, 
assented  to  a  long  confession  read  by  the  minister. 

This  signal  for  an  awakening  was  followed 
through  the  following  winter  by  protracted  meet- 
ings, at  which  numerous  ministers  lent  their  as- 
sistance and  many  conversions  were  made.  At 
least  two  days  of  fasting,  humiliation  and  prayer 
were  observed,  Christmas,  1823,  and  February  5th, 
1824.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  look  after 
delinquents,  with  special  instructions  to  learn  why 
the  residents  of  the  South  had  habitually  absented 
themselves  from  the  house  of  worship.  As  a  re- 
sult of  this  revival  twenty-eight  joined  the  church. 
And  now  arose  the  subject  of  apportioning  the 
time  of  services  between  the  two  societies.  At  a 
meeting  in  the  North  school  house.  Deacon 
Thomas  Hammond,  whose  residence  was  near  the 
Central  Temple  and  who  was  a  Proprietor  of  that 
building,  argued  for  services  in  both  buildings, 
but  no  vote  was  taken. 

At  a  subsequent  meeting,  it  was  decided  to  hold 
one-third  of  the  services  in  the  Central  building, 
but  the  ultras  rallied,  reconsidered,  and  voted  to 


114  HISTORY  OF   CARVER 

join  with  the  Precinct  and  engage  a  minister  to 
preach  all  of  the  time  in  the  Temple  near  the  Green 
and  to  petition  the  Domestic  Missionary  Society 
for  assistance.  But  so  weak  was  the  old  society 
financially,  and  so  alarmingly  were  the  signs  of 
incohesiveness,  that  the  conservatives  appealed  to 
outside  ministers  for  advice.  In  response  to  this 
appeal  a  committee  of  ministers  investigated  the 
conditions  and  advised  committees  from  the  differ- 
ent sections  of  the  town  to  get  together,  select 
a  Board  of  Reconciliation,  and  pledge  each  other 
to  stand  by  the  decision.  The  old  society,  acting 
upon  this  advice,  named  a  committee  to  confer 
with  a  like  committee  of  the  Baptist  society.  Un- 
der the  proposed  terms  of  reconciliation,  the  Coun- 
cil was  to  revise  the  articles  of  faith  and  establish 
plans  and  places  of  holding  public  services.  The 
two  committees  went  about  their  duties  with  en- 
thusiasm, but  the  Baptists  were  unyielding  on  one 
point,  and  that  point  happened  to  be  the  one 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  union.  They  were  willing 
to  commit  the  matter  of  time  and  place  for  hold- 
ing public  services,  but  on  the  question  of  infant 
baptism  they  had  nothing  to  arbitrate.  It  is  ap- 
parent that  both  societies  were  suspicious,  for 
when  the  orthodox  committee  reported  to  its 
sponsors,  naming  the  Council,  its  report  was  re- 
jected and  a  new  committee  appointed  to  name  the 
personnel  of  the  proposed  Council. 

The  arbitration  board  as  finally  agreed  upon, 
was  composed  of  Rev.  Abel  Richmond  of  Halifax, 
Rev.  Oliver  Cobb  of  Rochester,  Rev.  Richard  S. 
Storrs  of  Braintree,  Rev.  Sylvester  Holmes  of 


CONGREGATIONALIST   CHURCH  115 

New  Bedford  and  Rev.  Frederick  Freeman  of  Ply- 
month.  The  Council  convened  and  gave  the  town 
its  best  efforts,  but  the  cleavage  over  the  12th 
article  could  not  be  bridged  and  the  dream  of  one 
church  in  town  did  not  come  true.  Thus,  while 
the  societies  could  not  formally  unite,  they 
travelled  peacefully  together  for  a  while  listening 
to  the  same  discourse,  worshipping  in  the  same 
meeting  house,  while  each  proceeded  to  build 
stronger  its  sectarian  walls. 

The  Baptists  were  not  the  only  heretics  the  old 
society  was  called  upon  to  combat.  Methodism 
appeared  about  1830  and  two  years  later,  Phebe 
Shurtleff  asked  for  her  dismissal  in  order  to  join 
the  Reformed  Methodist  Society.  A  committee 
was  chosen  to  convince  her  of  the  error  of  her 
ways,  but  the  committee  proved  powerless.  Miss 
Shurtleff  was  immovable,  and  there  was  no  alter- 
native but  to  vote  her  dismissal. 

Still  another  and  more  alarming  epidemic  broke 
out  in  1835,  when  Louisa  L.  T.  Chase  was  con- 
verted to  the  views  of  Emanuel  Swedenborg. 
This  was  regarded  as  a  serious  matter,  and 
Deacon  Nathan  Cobb,  Ebenezer  Cobb  and  Levi 
Vaughan  were  delegated  to  handle  the  case  with 
power  to  call  on  ministers  of  other  towns  for  ad- 
vice and  assistance.  After  laboring  in  vain  to 
convince  Mrs.  Chase  of  her  mistake,  the  committee 
called  Rev.  Elijah  Dexter  of  Plympton  and  Rev. 
Emerson  Paine  of  Middleboro  in  consultation.  A 
special  church  meeting  was  called  and  after  con- 
sidering the  case,  the  heretic  was  excommunicated. 


116  HISTORY   OF    CARVER 

In  1841,  several  members  of  the  church  entered 
the  ranks  of  the  Millerites  and  in  consequence 
were  excommunicated.  Again  in  1853,  Thomas 
Cushman  filed  accusations  against  Mary  Fuller, 
charging  her  with  false  and  erroneous  doctrines. 
After  a  hearing,  at  which  it  was  shown  that  she 
had  rejected  one  of  the  articles  of  faith  and  been 
converted  to  the  doctrine  of  Universalism,  she  was 
expelled. 

It  will  be  noted,  that  the  period  extending  from 
1830  to  1850  was  prolific  with  heresy  and  the  re- 
sult was  the  final  separation  of  the  church  in 
Carver.  Methodism  had  gained  a  foothold  in  the 
South;  Baptism  held  the  Centre;  Advents  and 
Universalists  had  laid  the  foundation  for  a  follow- 
ing and  even  Spiritualism  had  claimed  its  own. 
And  worn  out  by  seventy-five  years  of  incessant 
fighting  for  unity,  the  old  society  relinquished  its 
claims  contemporaneously  with  the  agitation  for  a 
new  church  building  at  the  North  end  of  the  parish 
and  under  the  ministry  of  Eev.  Stillman  Pratt,  the 
First  Church  of  Carver  entered  upon  its  modern 
career. 

Following  the  custom  of  churches  in  the  earlier 
days,  this  society  kept  a  watchful  eye  over  the 
moral  welfare  of  its  members.  At  times  the  com- 
mittee on  discipline  had  a  crowded  docket  and  fre- 
quent meetings  were  necessary  to  relieve  the 
docket.  In  most  cases  the  defendant  confessed 
and  was  immediately  restored  to  good  standing. 
Many  were  the  chastisements  for  unchristian  con- 
duct, but  little  of  a  serious  nature  appears  to  have 
been  charged  against  the  communicants.     Petty 


CONGREGATIONALIST   CHURCH  117 

cases  which  another  generation  would  appeal  to 
the  courts  were  taken  up  by  the  church,  and  again 
and  again  small  disputes  were  adjusted  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  parties  without  recourse  to  the 
civil  tribunal. 

John  Maxim,  Jr.,  proved  a  most  stubborn  de- 
fendant on  doctrinal  grounds.  Complaint  having 
been  filed  against  him  ''for  disorderly  walk  inas- 
much as  he  had,  as  it  appeared,  rejected  the  lead- 
ing articles  of  faith  to  which  he  had  assented  when 
he  became  a  member  of  the  church,  and  had  not 
attended  public  worship  in  the  church,  or  com- 
muned with  them  for  a  number  of  years. ' '  Though 
a  messenger  was  despatched  to  notify  Maxim  of 
the  indictment,  he  refused  to  appear  for  trial  and 
regarding  the  case  as  hopeless  he  was  excom- 
municated. 

The  case  of  the  eccentric  but  brilliant  James 
Savery*  was  the  most  noted  of  the  church  trials 
of  this  society.  Charged  with  "unchristian  walk 
and  conversation,  particularly  in  absenting  him- 
self from  the  house  of  worship,  traveling  here  and 
there  on  the  Lord's  Day,  unchristian  feeling  and 
conversation  towards  those  of  his  brethren  who 
had  labored  to  redeem  him,"  he  became  the  topic 
for  discussion  throughout  the  Precinct. 

Previous  steps  had  been  taken  to  redeem  him, 
both  on  the  part  of  the  brethren  and  the  church, 
when  it  was  decided  to  take  the  third  gospel  step 

*While  a  man  of  sterling  character,  James  Savery  was  so 
eccentric  as  to  antagonize  the  conventionality  of  common  folks. 
With  Albert  Shurtleflf  he  shocked  the  thoughtless  people  of  the 
town,  by  voting  for  abolition  long  before  the  rank  and  file  could 
see  anything  objectional  in  chattel  slavery. 


118  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

and  he  was  suspended  until  such  time  as  he  should 
make  Christian  satisfaction.  After  five  years  of 
rebellion  he  went  forward,  confessed  his  mis- 
demeanors and  was  restored  to  fellowship.  Again 
he  came  before  the  disciplinarians  when,  in  1823, 
a  committee  was  named  to  labor  with  him  in  re- 
gard to  making  a  disturbance  in  the  choir,  and 
failing  to  come  to  an  agreement,  Nathan  Cobb  was 
detailed  to  call  on  him  and  respectfully  request 
him  not  to  sing  in  such  a  manner  as  to  interrupt 
the  singers.  The  following  year  he  faced  trial  on 
an  indictment  of  four  counts  as  follows  filed  by 
Bennett  Cobb: 

Cutting  wood  on  the  Lord's  Day. 

Disturbing  the  choir  by  irregular  manners. 

Casting  reflections  upon  the  singers. 

Disturbing  the  religious  services  of  the  young. 

After  a  patient  hearing  during  which  the  de- 
fendant was  unyielding,  Savery  the  eccentric,  was 
excommunicated.  Still  belligerent  he  continued 
the  contest,  until  his  case  went  up  on  appeal  to  a 
Council  of  Ministers.  In  this  Council  he  was  over- 
ruled, the  church  proceedings  covering  the  trial 
were  adjudged  regular,  and  in  1831  he  made  a  full 
confession  and  was  restored  to  fellowship  in  the 
church. 

Eev.  Stillman  Pratt  was  the  first  installed  min- 
ister over  the  society  after  Eev.  Plummer  Chase, 
and  he  was  destined  to  make  the  most  lasting  im- 
pression of  the  pastors  who  followed  Eev.  John 
Shaw.  During  the  larger  part  of  the  intervening 
time,  ministers  had  been  supplied  by  the  com- 
mittees with  no  settled  pastor  much  of  the  time. 


CONGREGATIONALIST   CHURCH  119 

Chase  seems  to  have  been  a  strong  character, 
whose  influence  was  exerted  on  both  the  religious 
and  civil  affairs  of  the  community.  He  was  in- 
stalled in  1828  and  remained  with  the  society  seven 
years.  Reverends  Luther  "Wright,  Paul  Jewett 
and  Jonathan  King  held  brief  sway. 

Rev.  Stillman  Pratt  was  ordained  August  2d, 
1851,  by  the  largest  Council  that  met  in  the  parish, 
presided  over  by  the  veteran,  Israel  W.  Putnam 
of  Middleboro.  This  ministry  may  be  considered 
the  dividing  line  between  the  two  societies,  al- 
though the  friendly  feeling  continued,  resulting  in 
occasional  joint  services  in  the  Central  Temple. 
Pratt  was  engaged  with  the  understanding  that  he 
should  reside  at  the  North  end  of  the  parish  and 
devote  all  of  his  time  to  the  society  at  the  Green. 
Thus  this  ministry  may  be  called  the  beginning  of 
the  local  history  of  the  Congregationalist  Church 
Society. 

The  first  year  of  the  new  ministry  was 
eminently  successful,  although  at  the  cost  of  the 
health  of  the  pastor.  One-third  of  his  time  was 
devoted  to  a  Boston  periodical,  from  which  source 
he  derived  one-third  of  his  income.  But  the  in- 
convenience of  getting  to  and  from  the  city,  com- 
pelled him  to  give  up  that  part  of  his  labor  and 
his  second  year  was  devoted  solely  to  the  society. 
Mr.  Pratt  resigned  in  1854. 

His  successor.  Rev.  Nathaniel  Coggswell,  re- 
mained over  the  society  until  1857.  The  main  fea- 
ture of  this  ministry,  was  the  preliminary  steps 
towards  the  erection  of  a  new  church  edifice  which, 
however,  was  not  realized  until  two  years  later. 


120 


HISTORY   OF   CARVER 


MINISTERS 

Rev.  Othniel  Campbell  (ord.) 

1732—1744 

Rev.  John  Howland  (ord.) 

1746- 

-1805 

Rev.  John  Shaw  (ord.) 

1806- 

-1815 

Rev.  Luther  "Wright 

1823- 

-1824 

Rev.  Nathaniel  Barker 

1825- 

-1826 

Rev.  Seth  Chapin 

1827 

Rev.  Plummer  Chase  (ord.) 

1828- 

-1835 

Rev.  Paul  Jewett 

1836- 

-1838 

Rev.  Jonathan  King 

1839- 

-1841 

Rev.  E.  W.  Robinson 

1846 

Rev.  E.  Gay 

1847 

Rev.  Stillman  Pratt  (ord.) 

1851- 

-1854 

Rev.  Nathaniel  CoggsweU 

1855- 

-1857 

Rev.  W.  C.  Whitcomb 

1858 

Rev.  Greenwood 

1859 

Rev.  John  Moore 

1860 

Rev.  Henry  L.  Chase  (ord.) 

1864—1867 

Rev,  H.  P.  Leonard 

1868 

Rev.  W.  W.  Livingston  (ord.) 

1873- 

-1878 

Rev.  H,  P.  Leonard 

1880- 

-1881 

Rev.  Charles  F.  Goldsmith 

1883- 

-1884 

Rev.  Nehemiah  Lincoln 

1888- 

-1891 

Rev.  Oscar  F.  Stetson  (ord.) 

1902- 

-1909 

Rev.  James  J.  G.  Tarr 

1911- 

- 

O   o 

I— I    CO 
P^    CO 

O  _;^ 

S   (^ 
.-- 

C 

H 

hi 
< 


THE  SOUTH  MEETING  HOUSE 

The  South  Precinct  of  Plympton  covered  a  much 
larger  area  than  that  embraced  by  the  old  society, 
with  the  principal  settlements  in  the  extreme 
North,  and  the  new  society  was  not  destined  long 
to  travel  without  dissensions.  As  the  farmers 
spread  out  over  the  Southlands,  the  cast-iron  cus- 
tom of  going  to  church  soon  led  to  discontent  on 
the  part  of  those  who  resided  at  a  distance  from 
the  house  of  worship,  and  in  less  than  forty  years 
from  the  raising  of  the  church  building  at  Laken- 
ham,  appeared  an  agitation  for  still  another  tem- 
ple in  the  Southern  section  of  the  Precinct. 

A  subscription  paper  was  in  circulation  in  1772, 
and  at  a  meeting  of  the  subscribers  that  year 
Joshua  Benson,  John  Shaw,  Bartlett  Murdock, 
Benjamin  Ward,  and  Joseph  Barrows  were  named 
as  a  building  committee.  The  hill  north  of  the 
residence  of  Peleg  Barrows  was  selected  as  the 
site,  and  to  guard  against  extortion  the  following 
prices  for  labor  and  materials  were  established  by 
vote  of  the  subscribers:  Carpenters  3s,  3f  per 
day;  narrow  axe  men  2s,  4d,  3f ;  teaming  6s,  8d; 
oak  timber  4s,  4d,  per  ton;  merchantable  boards 
IL,  17s,  4d;  one  and  one-fourth  inch  boards  21L^ 
6s,  8d,  per  ton.     The  size  of  the  building  was  to  be 

121 


122  HISTORY   OF    CARVER 

42  by  37  and  Benjamin  Ward*  was  authorized  to 
raise  it  and  finish  the  outside. 

The  following  year,  the  subscribers  assumed  the 
style  of  Proprietors,  and  voted  to  build  the  build- 
ing by  pews,  the  amount  subscribed  to  be  adjusted 
with  the  amount  bid  for  the  pew.  Fifty  men  were 
appointed  to  raise  the  structure  and  by  way  of  a 
guarantee,  the  Proprietors  voted  to  purchase  two 
barrels  of  rum  and  to  furnish  it  in  sufficient 
quantities  to  both  workmen  and  spectators.  By 
October,  1774,  the  building  was  so  far  completed 
that  the  first  legal  meeting  was  held  within  its 
walls,  at  which  Jolm  Shaw  was  chosen  moderator 
and  Joseph  Bridgham  vendue-master.  Nearly  all 
of  the  subscribers  became  Proprietors  by  virtue 
of  bidding  in  a  pew  and  they,  with  their  successors, 
were  the  owners  of  the  meeting  house. 

A  two-story  building  of  massive  oak  frame 
formed  the  material  body  of  the  Temple.  The 
pulpit  was  on  the  east  side  with  the  main  entrance 
from  the  west.  The  pews  were  of  the  style  of  the 
times,  painted  white  with  mahogany  trimmings, 
while  a  huge  sounding  board  assisted  the  minister 
in  reaching  the  ears  of  the  auditors. 

As  soon  as  the  building  was  fitted  for  public 
meetings,  began  a  half  century  struggle  between 
the  South  Meadow  folks  and  the  rulers  of  the 
Precinct.  In  July,  1775,  a  special  meeting  was 
called  to  see  if  the  Precinct  would  vote  to  instruct 


*At  this  celebrated  "raising"  Benjamin  Ward  performed  a 
feat  that  has  been  handed  down  in  folklore.  After  the  frame  was 
raised,  he  startled  the  spectators  by  shouldering  his  broad  axe 
and  ascending  the  ladder  he  walked  the  plate  from  corner  to 
corner. 


SOUTH  MEETING  HOUSE  123 

Eev,  John  Howland  to  hold  a  part  of  the  weekly 
services  in  the  Sonth  meeting  house.  The 
proposition  was  defeated  by  a  vote  of  26  to  20, 
whereupon  another  meeting  was  called  to  act  upon 
reconsideration  and  this  also  was  defeated  by  the 
narrow  margin  of  21  to  20.  So  persistent  were 
the  agitators,  that  in  October  the  minister  was  in- 
structed to  preach  one-fourth  of  the  time  in  the 
new  meeting  house.  This  was  only  a  temporary 
move  and  at  the  next  March  meeting,  the  Precinct 
voted  to  raise  ten  pounds  by  taxation  "to  help  the 
sufferers  at  the  South  end  to  preaching."  A 
similar  grant  was  made  the  following  three  years, 
then  came  the  Revolutionary  period  with  sixty-two 
pounds  in  1779  and  two  hundred  sixty-two  pounds 
in  1780. 

About  this  time  the  war  against  the  rates  de- 
veloped and  further  appropriations  may  be  re- 
garded in  the  nature  of  compromises,  but  as  in 
numerous  historic  parallels  they  served  only  to 
fan  the  embers  of  discontent. 

In  1785  no  appropriation  for  preaching  was 
granted,  but  in  lieu  of  it  ten  pounds  was  raised 
for  the  purpose  of  abating  the  taxes  of  those  who 
resided  most  remote  from  the  regular  meeting 
house,  while  it  was  further  voted  to  indemnify  the 
Collector  should  he  be  put  to  unnecessary  expense 
in  collecting  the  taxes  south  of  the  river.  The 
year  following,  Barzilla  Besse,  Peter  Shurtleff  and 
Jabez  Muxom,  who  resided  towards  Tihonet  were 
exempted  provided  they  paid  taxes  in  Wareham, 
and  the  Precinct  voted  to  support  preaching  in  the 
new  meeting  house  in  proportion  to  taxes  paid 


124  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

into  the  treasury  by  residents  south  of  the  river. 

In  1788  preaching  one-fourth  of  the  time  was 
granted  the  South,  but  the  spirit  of  another  age 
was  spreading  and  liberal  as  these  concessions 
may  appear,  the  Precinct  had  to  redeem  its 
promise  to  protect  its  Collector  and  before  the 
year  ended,  it  was  flatly  voted  to  have  no  preach- 
ing outside  of  the  regular  meeting  house. 

The  mutineers  stood  firm  and  in  1792  the  rates 
against  the  following  were  abated:  John  Shaw, 
Bartlett  Murdock,  Simeon  Holmes,  Roland  Ham- 
mond, Capt.  Ward,  Joseph  Atwood,  Bartlett  Mur- 
dock, Jr.,  John  Shaw,  Jr.,  Ichabod  Tillson,  Carver 
Barrows,  Benjamin  Wliite,  Ebenezer  Dunham, 
Crispus  Shaw,  Samuel  Atwood,  Gideon  Perkins, 
John  Atwood,  Ephraim  Griffith,  Ephraim  Griffith, 
Jr.,  George  Hammond,  Benjamin  Tubbs,  Frances 
Bent  and  Jonathan  Shaw.  This  may  be  con- 
sidered the  end  of  the  serious  attempt  of  the 
Precinct  to  tax  the  people  south  of  the  river. 
While  the  form  continued  nearly  forty  years,  the 
assessments  were  optional  with  the  tax-payer,  the 
clause  "provided  it  can  be  collected"  was  added 
to  the  assessments,  while  the  amounts  annually 
raised  to  replace  the  taxes  that  could  not  be  col- 
lected, was  an  admission  that  the  old  regime  had 
passed  away.  And  before  the  dawn  of  the  19th 
century,  the  Precinct  having  given  up  the  struggle, 
and  the  town  voting  a  year  later  not  to  support 
the  minister  by  a  town  tax,  the  Proprietors  were 
left  with  a  free  hand.  No  theology  appears  to 
have  disturbed  their  dreams,  but  their  meeting 
house  was  there,  and  the  congregation — let  him 


SOUTH  MEETING  HOUSE  125 

preach  who  would.  Thus  the  Baptists  found  a 
forum  and  still  later  when  the  church  had  been 
divided  and  sub-divided,  bolder  heretics  found  a 
hearing  in  this  Temple.  Aside  from  the  problem 
of  public  services,  the  Proprietors  passed  through 
a  stormy  career — forever  wrestling  with  the  mat- 
ter of  repairs.  The  first  fifteen  years  saw  the 
physical  structure  stand  the  test,  while  all  efforts 
were  centred  in  an  attempt  to  consecrate  the 
Temple  to  public  worship,  but  as  the  builders 
passed  and  their  work  began  to  decay,  the  troubles 
of  the  sons  multiplied.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
building  was  never  finished  according  to  original 
plans  for  while  agents  were  periodically  appointed 
to  collect  arrearages  and  sell  pews  for  the  pur- 
pose of  raising  funds  with  which  to  finish  the 
meeting  house,  the  ledger  accounts  bear  witness  to 
the  obstacles  that  beset  the  workers.  To  accom- 
plish this  end,  merchandise  of  any  description  was 
acceptable  and  iron  ware  was  gladly  hailed  as 
legal  tender. 

In  1792  a  rally  was  made,  which  continued 
through  two  decades.  An  heroic  etfort  was  made 
to  raise  funds  by  placing  new  pews  on  the  market, 
but  there  were  already  pews  enough  to  meet  the 
demand.  Ichabod  Benson  and  Nathaniel  Atwood 
were  persistent  dunners,  but  they  barely  suc- 
ceeded in  collecting  enough  from  back  assessments 
to  make  imperative  repairs.  Thus  after  a  fruit- 
less effort  to  place  their  meeting  house  on  a  more 
satisfactory  footing,  the  Proprietors  lost  heart 
and  they  were  ready  to  listen  to  proposals  that 
would  have  been  spurned  by  their  fathers. 


126  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

In  the  preceding  forty  years  momentous 
changes* had  transpired,  chief  among  them  so  far 
as  this  story  is  concerned  the  Colonies  had  de- 
yeloped  into  a  nation  and  the  Precinct  into  a 
town.  The  area  of  the  new  town  was  dotted  with 
settlements,  the  church  was  divided,  thrifty  fur- 
naces were  in  operation  at  Popes  Point,  Federal 
and  Charlotte  around  which  clustered  happy 
villages,  and  the  theory  that  there  should  be  a 
more  united  work  on  the  part  of  the  young  town 
than  could  be  expected  with  so  many  struggling 
societies  gained  ground.  In  1820  a  meeting  of  the 
Proprietors  was  called  on  petition  of  Benjamin 
Ellis  et.  al.,  to  see  if  said  Proprietors  would  vote 
to  tear  down  their  meeting  house  and  build  one  in 
the  centre  of  the  town.  The  meeting  assembled, 
the  question  debated  with  that  seriousness  its  im- 
portance deserved,  when  it  was  decided  by  a  vote 
of  10  to  7  to  surrender  the  Temple  and  rebuild 
near  the  Centre  provided  the  North  would  do  the 
same.  This  was  a  safe  proposition  for  the  seven 
remonstrants,  for  the  North  was  strongly 
orthodox,  the  Centre  Baptist  with  no  taste  for 
imion  meeting  houses  at  that  time,  and  so  the 
dream  of  one  church  in  town  passed. 

No  alternative  was  left  the  Proprietors  but  to 
rally  again.  Ben  Ellis,  Jesse  Murdock,  Ira  Mur- 
dock,  John  Savery,  Nelson  Barrows  and  Huit  Mc- 
Farlin — men  of  nerve  and  muscle  and  finance — 
resided  around  the  old  meeting  house  and  rather 
than  see  it  go  down  in  ruins,  they  would  infuse 
new  life  into  its  creaking  joints.  A  meeting  was 
called,  regular  set  of  officers  elected,  assessment 


SOUTH  MEETING  HOUSE  127 

voted,  the  Collector  patted  on  the  back,  and  Jesse 
Murdock,  John  Bent  and  Eli  Atwood  named  as 
the  committee  to  put  the  building  in  good  repair. 
The  result  was  a  complete  remodeling  of  the  in- 
side, necessary  repairs  on  the  outside,  paint,  door- 
steps, window  springs,  and  on  a  wave  of  enthu- 
siasm the  old  Temple  started  on  its  last  career 
and  its  decline,  so  far  as  that  generation  was  con- 
cerned. 

Thus  passed  two  more  decades  and  the  mortal 
drift  had  shifted  to  1840.  Most  of  the  bodies  of 
the  old  Proprietors  had  been  carried  into  their 
meeting  house  and  from  there  tenderly  through 
the  valley  to  the  Western  hill,  while  their  descend- 
ants faced  the  old  problem  of  repairs. 

On  petition  to  John  Savery,  Esq.,  a  meeting  of 
the  Proprietors  was  called  to  assume  the  time 
worn  burden.  The  meeting  assembled,  Joseph  Bar- 
rows, clerk,  John  Bent,  second,  Treasurer,  John 
Savery,  Israel  Thomas  and  Ben  Ellis  repair  com- 
mittee, and  for  lack  of  material  said  repair  com- 
mittee was  clothed  with  the  authority  of  As- 
sessors, and  the  meeting  adjourned.  After  two 
more  adjournments  a  quorum  was  mustered,  an 
assessment  made,  the  Treasurer  instructed  to 
proceed  with  his  duty  with  all  possible  speed  and 
the  meeting  adjourned  without  day.  It  was  a  race 
with  death  and  the  Proprietors  lost.  The  assess- 
ment was  not  made,  the  Treasurer  did  not  report 
for — had  they  not  adjourned  without  day? 

But  there  was  yet  a  career  of  glory  for  the  old 
meeting  house.  Conditions  had  changed,  men  had 
moved,  ideals  had  grown,  there  were  rugged  heirs 


128  HISTORY   OP   CARVER 

of  the  Patriarchs  in  the  world  and  while  night 
dropped  its  curtain  on  the  old,  the  dawn  of  a  new 
career  broke  upon  the  old  Temple. 

In  1854  a  meeting  was  called  and  a  committee 
composed  of  Benjamin  F.  Leonard,  Salmon  F. 
Jenkins,  Eufus  C.  Freeman  and  John  F.  Shaw 
instructed  to  remodel  the  meeting  house.  No  re- 
pairs this  time,  no  setting  of  glass  or  patching  of 
roof  or  building  of  '^ more  seats  under  the  woman's 
stairs,"  but  a  revolution.  In  place  of  the 
auditorium,  a  dance  hall;  in  place  of  the  pulpit, 
a  Moderator's  cage;  in  place  of  the  forum  of 
peace,  a  magazine  of  war.  And  so  out  of  the 
centre  of  preachings  and  funerals  grew  the  centre 
of  mirth,  of  political  gatherings  and  preparations 
for  civil  strife.  Thus  the  meeting  house  of  1772 
gave  way  to  Bay  State  hall  and  town  house  of 
1854. 

While  the  outward  form  of  the  building  was  un- 
changed the  inside  was  completely  remodeled. 
The  pulpit  and  gallery  were  removed  and  a  second 
floor  laid.  On  the  upper  floor  a  stairway,  hallway 
and  two  spacious  ante-rooms  took  up  the  north 
end,  while  a  large  hall  occupied  the  remainder  of 
the  space.  The  large  oak  braces  gave  the  room  a 
lordly  air,  while  the  martial  spirit  was  roused  by  a 
row  of  glittering  muskets  that  stood  in  their  racks 
across  the  south  end  of  the  hall. 

About  three-fourths  of  the  lower  floor  on  the 
south  side  was  fitted  as  an  auditorium  for  town 
and  other  public  uses.  On  the  east  side  a  boarded 
enclosure  about  ten  feet  square,  was  set  apart  for 
the  use  of  the  Moderator  and  Town  Clerk,  with  an 


SOUTH  MEETING  HOUSE  129 

aperture  in  front  tlirough  which  was  protruded 
the  ballot  box.  If  the  Moderator  happened  to  be 
of  short  statute,  his  head  could  barely  be  seen 
above  the  board  fence,  while  the  "heeler"  who 
lurked  around  to  see  whether  the  voter  who  ap- 
proached to  deposit  his  ballot  in  the  protruding 
box,  voted  the  white  or  the  buff  ballot  was  amply 
protected  by  that  same  oxide  red.  In  the  north- 
west corner  was  enclosed  the  Selectmen's  office 
with  its  long  old  table,  its  library  of  public  docu- 
ments and  its  cabinet  holding  the  standard  of 
weights  and  measures.  In  the  northeast  corner 
was  located  the  powder  house — a  room  set  apart 
for  muskets,  canteens,  uniforms  and  general  muni- 
tions of  war. 

These  halls,  both  upper  and  lower,  were  the 
center  of  many  stirring  meetings.  Not  infre- 
quently one  political  party  would  be  using  one  for 
a  rally  meeting  at  the  same  time  the  other  hall 
was  being  occupied  by  the  opposing  party  de- 
votees. During  the  days  of  Civil  war,  these  halls 
were  the  centre  of  activity.  Here  meetings  were 
held  to  stir  the  patriotism  of  the  young;  here 
through  many  a  stormy  meeting  the  town  voters 
wrestled  with  the  knotty  problems  of  war.  Here 
the  optimist  and  pessimist,  the  thoughtless  and 
the  serious,  met  to  don  the  straps  and  start  for  the 
front,  and  here  was  the  last  meeting  place  of  many 
of  the  boys,  who  went  away  with  visions  of  glory 
and  returned  only  in  the  memories  of  the  friends 
at  home. 

For  twenty-five  years  following  the  close  of  the 
Civil  war,  this  building  continued  in  its  career  of 


130  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

mirth  and  glory.  Town  meetings,  political  meet- 
ings, dances,  temperance  societies  and  various 
public  usages  kept  the  old  spirit  alive. 

Not  alone  the  residents  of  Carver,  but  the  young 
of  surrounding  towns  availed  themselves  of  its 
spacious  rooms  and  far  and  near  it  came  justly 
by  the  name  of  The  Carver  Light-House.  And 
why  not?  For  standing  on  the  highest  eminence 
between  bay  and  bay  the  light  streaming  from  its 
windows  could  be  seen  from  every  approach — and 
it  stands  too  on  the  highest  eminence  between  our 
fathers  and  us. 

A  meeting  house  built  on  the  pew-holders  plan, 
sooner  or  later  drifts  into  the  fog.  While  enthu- 
siasm lasts  the  owners  are  listed,  but  when  en- 
thusiasm lags,  proprietors  die,  and  heirs  lack  in- 
terest to  register  their  claims,  and  the  responsi- 
bility of  ownership  falls  into  neglect. 

This  meeting  house  did  not  escape  the  common 
lot.  For  the  first  twenty  years  of  its  life,  it  was 
in  appreciative  hands,  then  came  changes  in 
ownership  to  be  followed  by  a  decade  of  uncer- 
tainty. Again  in  1825  the  legal  heirs  were  hunted 
up  and  listed,  but  only  for  a  brief  reign,  when  they 
should  again  disintegrate  to  meet  no  more.  A 
feeble  attempt  was  made  in  1840  to  rouse  the 
dying  order,  but  only  the  final  gasp,  for  rapidly 
after  that  effort  the  ownership  and  care  drifted 
away  together,  leaving  to  unidentified  descendants 
the  reconstruction  of  the  ancient  edifice.  Among 
the  proprietors  of  the  first  forty  years  were  many 
Baptists,  who  were  prominently  identified  with 
the  Carver  society.    Following  is  a  list  of  the  Pro- 


SOUTH  MEETING  HOUSE  131 

prietors,  with  the  year  in  which  they  came  into 
ownership : 

Original :  Peleg  Barrows,  John  Mnxom,  Joseph 
Barrows,  Joshua  Benson,  Jr.,  Frances  Sturtevant, 
John  Shaw,  Bartlett  Murdock,  Ephraim  and  Ben- 
jamin Ward,  William  Morison,  Salathiel  Bumpus 
and  William  Washburn,  Ephraim  Griffith  and 
Joseph  Atwood,  Seth  Barrows,  James  Murdock, 
Elkanah  Lucas,  John  Bridgham,  Bartlett  Mur- 
dock, Bartlett  Murdock,  Jr.,  Obadiah  Lyon, 
Joshua  Benson,  John  Atwood  and  Simmons  Bar- 
rows, Samuel  Lucas  and  Huit  McFarlin,  Nathaniel 
Atwood,  Jr.,  and  Lieut.  Caleb  Atwood.  (Pew  No. 
7  does  not  appear  to  have  been  sold,  and  pews 
numbers  25  and  26  were  not  sold  until  1792,  and 
No.  27  in  1825).  In  1782,  Thomas  Muxom.  In 
1792,  Lieut.  Ichabod  Benson,  Benjamin  White  and 
Capt.  Elisha  Murdock,  Robert  Shurtleff ,  Ephraim 
Griffith  and  Joseph  Atwood,  and  Samuel  Atwood. 
In  1794,  Ebenezer  Shurtleff.  In  1805,  Benjamin 
Ellis,  Ensign  Gideon  Shurtleff,  Ichabod  Tillson, 
and  Rowland  Hammond.  In  1816,  Thomas  Shurt- 
leff, Eli  and  Jonathan  Atwood,  George  and 
Thomas  Barrows  and  Benjamin  Ellis.  In  1825, 
John  Bent,  2nd. 

Proprietors  through  gallery  pews  built  in  1792. 
Original :  Rowland  Leonard  and  Co.,  Elezur  Lewis, 
Peleg  Barrows,  Jr.,  Ebenezer  Dunham,  Jr.,  Eli 
Atwood,  Capt.  Benjamin  Ward,  Carver  Barrows, 
and  John  Shaw.  In  1793,  Peter  Shurtleff.  In 
1794,  Lieut.  Ichabod  Benson,  (2  pews),  Samuel 
Dunham,  John  Bumpus,  Benjamin  Wrightington 


132  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

and  Elisha  Murdock.  In  1816,  Zadock  Wright  and 
Elislia  Murdock. 

In  1825,  Proprietors  were  listed  as  follows: 
Jolin  Bent,  2nd,  Peleg  Barrows,  Peleg  Savery, 
Thomas  Shurtleff,  John  Muxom,  Jonathan  At- 
wood,  Benjamin  Ellis,  Alvan  Shaw,  Thomas  Till- 
son,  Capt.  Samuel  Shaw,  Asaph  Atwood,  Ira  Mur- 
dock, James  Ellis,  James  Shurtleff,  Asaph  Wash- 
burn, Obed  Griffith,  Wilson  Griffith,  Ellis  Griffith, 
Silvanus  Griffith,  Stephen  Tillson,  John  Tillson, 
Luther  Tillson,  Capt.  Elisha  Murdock,  Elisha 
Murdock,  Jr.,  Lydia  Hall,  Israel  Thomas,  Nelson 
Barrows,  Joseph  Barrows,  Luther  Atwood,  Jesse 
Murdock,  Silvanus  Shaw,  Perez  Shaw,  Silas  Shaw, 
John  Bent,  Joseph  King,  Jonathan  King,  Huit 
McFarlin,  Nathaniel  Shurtleff,  2nd,  John  Savery, 
Stephen  Griffith,  Capt.  Eli  Atwood,  Stephen  Cush- 
man,  Zoath  Wright,  James  Wright,  John  Bumpus 
and  Benjamin  Wrightington. 

Proprietors  previous  to  1825,  whose  ownership 
is  of  uncertain  dates :  Thomas  Hammond,  Ben- 
jamin Hammond,  Lot  Shurtleff,  Nathaniel  Stand- 
ish.  Gen.  Ephraim  Ward,  Col.  Benjamin  Ward, 
Joseph  Ellis,  Joshua  Atwood,  Perez  Washburn, 
Luther  Atwood,  Crispus  Shaw,  Ichabod  Dunham 
and  Joseph  Bobbins. 

There  is  record  of  twenty-eight  pews  on  the 
ground  floor  and  twenty  in  the  gallery.  Those  on 
the  ground  floor  were  numbered  up  to  26,  numbers 
27  and  28  being  designated  as  ''the  seats  where 
the  east  door  entered"  and  built  in  1825.  Most 
of  the  gallery  pews  were  built  in  1792,  although 
a  few  were  added  in  later  years. 


SOUTH  MEETING  HOUSE  133 

In  184:1  a  legal  auction  was  held  to  sell  pews  for 
the  purpose  of  raising  funds  for  making  repairs. 
At  that  time  pews,  or  fractions  of  pews,  were  sold 
to  the  following :  Jesse  Murdock,  Thomas  South- 
worth,  Mary  Ellis,  Hannah  Ellis,  Ellis  Griffith, 
Hiram  Tillson,  Zenas  Tillson,  Aaron  Nott  and 
Stephen  Cushman. 


THE  SECOND  SEPARATION 

The  incorporation  of  the  South  Precinct  was  a 
compromise  to  save  the  division  of  the  town  which 
the  radicals  declined  to  accept.  In  November, 
1733  and  again  in  March,  1733-34,  the  town  voted 
down  a  petition  of  the  new  town  advocates,  where- 
upon they  filed  their  petition  with  the  General 
Court.  The  old  town  sent  Joseph  Thomas  and 
Samuel  Bradford  to  oppose  the  movement  and 
nothing  came  of  it.  The  following  year  a  com- 
mittee was  named  in  town  meeting  to  treat  with 
the  disaffected  element,  and  the  temper  of  the 
advocates  of  division  may  be  seen  in  the  committee 
report  which  said:  ''we  cannot  agree  upon  any- 
thing." In  1738  another  petition  was  entered 
with  the  General  Court,  but  the  petitioners  were 
given  leave  to  withdraw  and  for  a  half  century 
the  question  was  hushed. 

During  this  period  the  country  was  engaged 
with  momentous  issues,  which  held  the  old  town 
together.  It  is  evident  that  the  advocates  of 
division  were  residents  of  South  Meadows,  the 
Lakenham  people  standing  with  the  opposition, 
and  as  the  population  to  the  South  increased,  the 
agitation  increased  in  proportion.  During  the 
war  days  it  was  found  advisable  to  compromise 
with  the  sentiment  and  one-third  of  the  town  meet- 
ings were  held  in  ''Mr.  Rowland's  meeting  house" 

135 


136  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

while  the  South  Precinct  had  been  granted  some 
of  the  privileges  that  go  with  the  full  fledged 
town.  But  as  usual,  compromises  are  only  post- 
ponements of  the  main  issue  and  the  agitation  con- 
tinued. 

In  1780,  the  question  found  its  way  into  town 
meeting  only  to  be  voted  down.  Then  followed 
our  critical  period  in  which  questions  of  finance 
transcended  all  others — in  fact  the  town  may  be 
said  to  be  trembling  on  the  verge  of  bankruptcy — 
but  in  January,  1788,  the  people  had  so  far  re- 
covered that  the  question  again  was  forced  to  the 
front,  only  to  be  lost  by  the  decisive  vote  of  40 
to  7.  As  the  petitioners  had  entered  their  petition 
again  with  the  General  Court,  Deacon  Thomas 
Savery,  Thomas  Gannett,  Capt.  John  Bradford, 
John  Chamberlain  and  Capt.  Benjamin  Crocker 
were  delegated  by  the  town  to  enter  a  remon- 
strance. In  the  following  June  another  petition 
was  voted  down  by  the  apparent  decisive  vote  of 
33  to  3,  but  the  question  would  not  stay  settled. 
The  insignificance  of  the  size  of  the  negative  vote 
in  these  two  cases  only  signifies  that  the  advocates 
of  division  had  put  the  question  before  the  town, 
while  they  were  saving  their  strength  for  the  final 
issue.  February  19,  1790  was  a  spirited  day  in 
PljTnpton,  and  the  days  preceding  were  rife  with 
agitation  as  both  factions  marshalled  their 
strength  for  the  final  battle.  It  is  evident  the 
advocates  of  division  had  carefully  measured  their 
strength,  and  that  they  had  also  placed  the  issue 
so  clearly  before  the  General  Court,  that  they  felt 
positive  that  their  efforts  were  to  be  crowned  by 


THOMAS  HAMMOND,  JR. 


THE  SECOND  SEPARATION  137 

success  tliis  time,  and  when  the  question  was  put 
by  the  moderator  on  the  day  named  above,  the 
town  of  Carver*  was  ushered  into  existence  by  the 
vote  of  97  to  76.  Nothing  remained  but  to  secure 
the  charter,  settle  the  preliminaries,  agree  upon 
boundary  lines,  divide  the  poor,  etc.,  and  by  June 
10  their  charter  having  passed  its  several  stages, 
received  the  signature  of  Gov.  John  Hancock. 

The  first  ''legal  meeting  of  the  Inhabitants  of 
the  town  of  Carver"  was  held  in  "Mr.  Rowland's 
meeting  house"  July  fifth  following  the  granting 
of  its  charter  in  which  business  was  transacted 
according  to  the  following  report : 

1 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  inhabitence  of  the  Town 
of  Carver  Regularly  assembled  agreeable  to  the 
foregoing  act  of  the  general  cort  and  held  at 
the  North  meeting  house  in  Said  town  on  mon- 
day  July  the  5th  1790  the  meeting  w^as  opend 
with  Prayer  By  the  Rev.  John  Howland  after 
which  Franecis  Shurtleff  Esq  was  chosen 
moderator  in  Said  meeting. 

2 

Made  choice  of  Capt  Nehemiah  Cobb  Town 
Clark  for  the  year  insueing  he  was  acordingly 
Sworn  by  Franecis  Shurtleff  Esq. 

3 
mad  choice  of  Dea  Thomas  Savery,  Capt  Wil- 
liam Atwood  and  Samuel  Lucas  jun  Select  men 
for  the  year  insuing. 


*The  town  received  its  name  in  honor  of  John  Carver  the  first 
Governor  of  Plymouth  who  died  childless. 


138  HISTORY  OF   CARVER 

4 

made  choice  of  Benjamin  White,  Samuel  Lucas 
Jun  and  Barnabus  Cobb  assessors  for  the  year 
insuing  they  ware  accordingly  sworn. 

5 

made  choice  of  Franecis  Shurtleff  Esq  Treasurer 
for  the  year  insuing  he  was  accordingly  sworn. 

6 

Voted  to  chuse  two  Collectors  for  the  year  insu- 
ing. 7 

Voted  to  Devid  the  Town  into  two  Destricks  for 
Collections,  to  be  Devided  as  it  was  Last  year. 

8 

Made  choice  of  Jonathan  Tilson  for  the  North 

Destrick  agreed  with  for  8d  on  the  Pound  and 

was  Sworn. 

9 

Made  choice  of  Caleb  Attwood  for  the  South 

Destrick  the  year  insuing  agreed  with  for  8d  on 

the  Pound  and  was  Sworn. 

10 
Made  choice  of  Jonathan  Tillson  Constable  for 
the  North  Destrick  the  year  insuing. 

11 
Made  choice  of  Caleb  Attwood  Constable  for  the 
South  Destrick  the  year  insuing. 

12 

Made  choice  of  Nathaniel  Atwood  grand  jury- 
man for  the  year  insuing. 

13 
Made  choice  of  Timothy  Cobb  Tithing  man  for 
the  year  insuing. 


THE  SECOND  SEPARATION  139 

14 

Made  choice  of  Benjamin  Cobb  Sevear  of  high 
ways  for  the  first  Destrick  for  the  year  insuing, 
maid  choice  of  Lieut  Joseph  Shaw  for  the  sec- 
ond Destrick  made  choice  of  Capt.  Benjamin 
ward  for  the  third  Destrick  made  choice  of  John 
Muxam  for  the  forth  Destrict. 
the  4  above  Survayors  ware  Sworn. 

15 
Made  choice  of  James  Vaughan  and  Lieut  John 
Shaw  fence  Vuers  for  the  year  insuing. 

16 

Made  choice  of  Carver  Barrows  and  Isaac 
Cobb  for  Hogreves  for  the  year  insuing. 

17 
Voted  that  Mr.  Issacher  fuller  keep  Susannah 
Cole  till  fall  meeting  at  the  Rate  She  was  bid  of 
at  the  Last  May  neeting. 

18 
Voted  that  James  Vaughan  keep  Patience  Pratt 
till  fall  meeting  for  one  shilling  and  fore  pence 
per  week.  -q 

Voted  that  the  Select  men  agree  with  Joseph 
Robbins  how  he  shall  keep  Elizabeth  Boardmen 
and  how  much  he  shall  give  for  the  improvement 
of  her  Estate.  nn 

Voted  that  Franecis  Shurtleff  Esq  and  Capt  Ne- 
hemiah  Cobb  be  a  Committy  to  join  with  the 
Selectmen  as  a  Committy  to  Settle  the  Accomps 
with  the  town  of  Plymton. 

21 
Voted  to  agurn  this  meeting  till  the  fall  meet- 
ing." 


140  HISTORY   OF    CARVER 

The  final  report  of  the  committee  appointed 
to  settle  with  the  town  of  Plympton  was  rendered 
in  1795  by  which  it  appears  that  the  new  town 
was  indebted  to  the  old  town  to  the  amount 
of  18  pounds  and  18  shillings.  Against  this 
amount  there  was  a  set  off  amounting  to  6  pounds 
3  shillings  and  8  pence,  being  school  allowance 
for  Samuel  Lucas  for  the  years  1788  and  1789, 
which  deducted  made  the  net  debt  of  the  town 
of  Carver  to  the  mother  town  of  12  pounds  14 
shillings  and  4  pence.  By  way  of  assets  that 
came  to  Carver  as  a  dowry  there  were  2968  paper 
dollars  in  the  treasury  of  Plympton,  Carver's 
share  of  which  was  adjudged  to  be  1385  dollars. 
This  sum  was  constituted  of  Revolutionary  re- 
minders known  as  Continental  money,  apparently 
and  absolutely  worthless  except  as  curios,  and 
Nathan  Cobb  was  constituted  the  agent  of  the 
town  to  dispose  of  these  ''dollars"  as  "best  he 
could."  There  is  no  evidence  to  indicate  that 
he  found  a  market,  for  in  the  saying  that  has 
come  down  to  us  they  "were  not  worth  a  con- 
tinental. ' ' 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  in  the  North 
Meeting  house  but  the  custom  of  calling  a  por- 
tion of  these  meetings  in  the  South  Meeting 
house  was  begun  in  1792.  The  old  building  near 
Lakenham  cemetery  soon  went  to  decay  and  all 
of  the  legal  meetings  were  held  in  the  South 
building  for  a  few  years  or  until  the  new  build- 
ings at  the  Green  and  at  the  centre  of  the  town 
were  erected  in  1824  when  the  custom  of  meet- 
ing at  different  sections  was  renewed.     The  ac- 


THE     SECOND     SEPARATION  141 

commodations  of  these  buildings  proved  unsatis- 
factory and  all  of  the  town  meetings  were  held 
in  the  South  Meeting  house  which  came  to  be 
known  as  "the  Town  hall,"  being  specially  pre- 
pared for  that  purpose  in  1854.  This  building 
was  the  sole  town  meeting  place  until  1881,  when 
it  began  to  divide  the  honors  with  King  Philip's 
hall. 

An  agitation  for  a  town  hall  sprang  up  in  1840, 
but  the  proposition  was  rejected  by  the  voters; 
and  again  in  1850  and  1854.  In  1880  the  agita- 
tion was  renewed,  and  in  view  of  the  degenerate 
condition  of  the  old  building  the  advocates  of  the 
new  hall  triumphed  and  the  town  hall  since  used 
was  opened  to  the  public  in  1887. 

Tything-men  were  annually  elected  for  upwards 
of  fifty  years  but  their  election  was  little  less  than 
the  following  of  a  custom  as  the  sentiment  of  the 
age  was  against  the  spirit  that  evolved  such  an 
officer.  Never  did  one  of  these  officers  succeed 
himself,  the  last  to  be  elected  being  James 
Savery,  Eliab  Ward  and  Ellis  Griffith  in  1847. 

The  town  voters  annually  settled  the  question 
of  whether  hogs  and  cattle  might  be  permitted 
to  run  at  large.  Hogs  had  to  be  "ringed  and 
yoked  according  to  law,"  but  horses  and  cattle 
went  unfettered.  To  regulate  the  custom  hog- 
reaves  and  horsereves  had  to  be  chosen  but  their 
duties  began  to  wane  about  1825  when  the  town 
refused  to  give  the  practice  the  sanction  of  its 
approval  and  the  duties  of  these  officers  soon  fell 
to  the  modern  field  driver.  Inspectors  of  nails 
were  also  chosen  in  the  early  record  of  the  town. 


142  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

When  domestic  animals  were  permitted  to  run 
at  large,  a  town  pound  was  essential,  and  these 
have  continued  through  the  regime  of  the  field- 
drivers,  the  later  votes  authorizing  each  field 
driver  to  make  his  own  pound  or  use  his  own 
domains  for  that  purpose.  The  Town  Pound  was 
located  opposite  and  a  little  to  the  north  of  the 
Baptist  church.  It  was  seven  rails  high,  three 
panes  square,  and  furnished  with  a  gate,  lock  and 
key.     It  was  repaired  for  the  last  time  in  1855. 

In  1814  according  to  custom  the  town  became 
the  owner  of  a  hearse  and  erected  a  hearse  house 
near  the  town  pound.  The  town  also  purchased 
a  set  of  burial  clothes  which  were  used  in  com- 
mon. In  1826  sextons  were  elected  by  the  town 
and  their  compensation  fixed  at  one  dollar  per 
funeral.  In  1841  a  new  hearse  was  provided  and 
the  house  repaired.  The  building  was  repaired 
for  the  last  time  in  1855.  Soon  after  this  (1868) 
the  custom  of  providing  a  public  hearse  was  dis- 
continued at  a  lively  town  meeting  in  which  the 
hearse  was  championed  by  George  P.  Bowers  and 
opposed  by  William  Savery. 

After  the  prevailing  custom  of  caring  for  the 
poor  when  the  town  was  incorporated  each  in- 
dividual case  was  disposed  of  in  open  town  meet- 
ing by  setting  the  ward  up  at  auction  and  strik- 
ing him  or  her  off  to  the  lowest  bidder.  In  cases 
where  the  pauper  was  so  undesirable  that  a  satis- 
factory bid  could  not  be  obtained  it  was  left  in 
the  hands  of  the  Selectmen.  In  the  process  of 
evolution  this  system  soon  became  unpopular. 
The  poor  were   on  the   increase,   bidders   were 


THE     SECOND     SEPARATION  143 

scarce,  and  the  voters  were  driven  to  look  for 
another  system. 

To  purchase  the  simplest  article  of  wearing 
apparel  called  for  a  vote  in  town  meeting.  The 
matter  would  be  discussed  pro  and  con,  rules  of 
parliamentary  procedure  would  be  strictly  ad- 
hered to,  while  the  question  before  the  house  was 
whether  Joseph  Cobb  should  be  given  a  contract 
to  make  a  pair  of  shoes  for  Patience  Pratt  for 
six  shillings.  At  the  first  town  meeting  of  Car- 
ver it  was  voted  that  the  poor  be  continued  in  the 
hands  of  those  who  bid  them  in  at  the  last  Plymp- 
ton  town  meeting.  By  the  effect  of  this  vote 
**Isaker  Fuller  was  to  keep  the  Cole  woman  until 
Fall  at  the  rate  she  was  bid  off  in  May,"  "James 
Vaughan  was  to  keep  a  woman  named  Robbins 
until  Fall  meeting  for  one  shilling  and  four  pence 
per  week,"  while  the  Selectmen  were  authorized 
to  agree  upon  terms  for  which  Joseph  Robbins 
should  keep  Elisabeth  Boardman  and  how  much 
he  should  give  for  the  improvement  of  her  es- 
tate. Among  other  Town  ordinances  illustrating 
this  system  of  caring  for  the  poor  were  these: 
The  town  would  assist  Amaziah  King  to  build  a 
chimney ;  Thankful  Bumpus '  child  was  left  in  the 
hands  of  the  Selectmen  ''to  see  that  it  was  not 
abused ; ' '  Edward  Stetson  was  authorized  to  keep 
Isaac  King  until  he  was  twenty-one  with  ''the 
Town's  allowing  him  twenty  dollars  for  his 
trouble;"  a  family  was  ordered  to  stay  with  "his 
wife 's  brother  in  Middleboro ; "  a  ward  was  voted 
two  dollars  and  a  barrel  of  herrings  to  assist  him 
in  supporting  his  family ;  the  Selectmen  must  see 


144  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

if  they  can  get  Cuffy  Collins  kept  for  what  the 
Town  receives  from  the  State;  Samuel  Lucas 
could  draw  $3.92  for  finding  an  indigent  woman 
a  pair  of  shoes,  a  gound,  a  petticoat  and  two 
shirts ;  the  Selectmen  were  authorized  to  bind  out 
Lydia  King  until  she  was  eighteen.  Such  were 
the  troublesome  questions  that  came  before  the 
town  meetings  of  the  early  days. 

By  1805  the  poor  problem  had  become  such  a 
burdensome  one  in  the  opinion  of  the  voters  that 
the  Selectmen  were  instructed  to  collect  all  of  the 
Town  wards,  bring  them  into  Town  immediately 
and  buy  or  build  a  house  for  them  at  the  lowest 
possible  cost.  Nothing  came  of  this  vote,  how- 
ever and  ten  years  later  another  effort  was  made 
towards  a  more  centralized  and  economical  sys- 
tem. At  the  regular  March  meeting  it  was  voted 
to  postpone  the  sale  of  the  poor  until  May.  A 
system  developed  so  rapidly  that  at  the  May 
meeting  a  committee  composed  of  Samuel  Shaw, 
Thomas  Hammond  and  Hezekiah  Cole  was  named 
to  find  a  place  where  the  poor  could  be  gathered 
and  to  estimate  the  cost.  As  a  result  of  the 
deliberations  of  this  committee  its  chairman, 
Shaw,  agreed  to  take  the  poor  at  his  house.  The 
offer  was  accepted  and  Samuel  Shaw  became 
keeper  of  the  town's  poor,  a  position  he  held  for 
ten  years.  Shaw  owned  a  large  farm  between 
the  Quitticus  road  and  Cedar  brook,  residing  in 
a  house  near  the  brook  and  keeping  the  poor  in 
another  of  his  houses  which  stood  on  the  corner 
of  Eochester  road  and  Quitticus  road.  During 
this  decade  the  poor  were  well  cared  for  and  un- 


THE  BAPTIST  CliUKCll— UUILT   IS-J.4 
Centre  of  Old  Home  Meetings 


THE     SECOND     SEPARATION  145 

der  the  supervision  were  kept  at  work  as  far  as 
their  strength  and  competency  would  admit. 
Making  cloth  for  the  town  from  flax  purchased 
by  the  agent  formed  a  good  part  of  their  labors. 
In  1826  the  salable  paupers  were  again  sold  at 
auction  while  the  undesirable  ones  were  left  in 
the  hands  of  the  Selectmen.  This  old  system  had 
not  come  to  stay,  for  the  following  year  the  Select- 
men were  instructed  to  see  what  they  could  buy 
a  small  farm  for  and  in  1829  the  town  voted  to 
build  a  poor  house  and  Thomas  Cobb  and 
Jonathan  Atwood  was  the  committee  to  select 
the  site  and  contract  for  the  building.  The  com- 
mittee followed  their  frugal  instincts  so  closely, 
no  doubt  urged  by  the  town  vote  to  buy  a  "small 
building"  that  the  building  proved  too  small  and 
after  a  year's  experiment  it  was  discarded  and 
the  poor  again  fell  to  the  care  of  the  Selectmen. 
This  first  poor  housef  owned  by  the  Town  stood 
on  the  corner  of  Rochester  road  and  the  road 
that  leads  to  Beaver  Dam  road  and  after  several 
fruitless  efforts  to  remodel  it,  it  was  placed  upon 
the  market  where  it  remained  for  nearly  twenty 
years  before  a  purchaser  was  found.  In  1841 
the  Selectmen  recommended  trading  it  for  the 
Winslow  Wright  farm,*  but  their  proposition  did 
not  receive  the  approval  of  the  town. 


tThe  poor  were  first  gathered  in  a  house  owned  by  Samuel 
Shaw,  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  residence  of  E.  E.  Shaw. 
The  first  poor  house  stood  on  the  site  of  the  residence  of  Mrs. 
P.  J.  Barrows,  and  which  was  burned. 

*The  Winslow  Wright  farm,  was  that  now  owned  by  James  P. 
Kennedy. 


146  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

In  1840  the  novel  plan  of  selling  the  poor 
singly  and  then  setting  them  up  in  a  body  with 
the  understanding  that  if  the  bid  in  a  lump  was 
less  than  the  aggregate  of  single  bids,  the  bidder 
of  the  lump  should  be  accepted.  Under  this  ex- 
periment Thomas  Hammond  was  the  successful 
bidder  for  the  lump  sum  of  $471.  Financially  his 
speculation  was  not  a  success  and  he  was  subse- 
quently granted  an  additional  fifty  dollars. 

In  1843  the  Selectmen  were  instructed  to  view 
the  farms  in  town  that  were  for  sale,  but  owing 
to  sectional  feeling  over  the  location  no  agree- 
ment was  made.  Two  years  later  Jonathan 
Atwood,  Eliab  Ward,  Ebenezer  Cobb,  Asaph 
Atwood  and  Henry  Sherman  were  constituted  a 
committee  with  authority  to  purchase  a  poor  farm 
and  as  a  result  of  their  labors  the  last  poor  farm 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  town.  This  farm 
was  bought  of  Capt.  Joseph  Holmes  but  it  was 
known  as  the  Deacon  Savery  place,  being  the 
former  residence  of  the  town's  first  Selectman, 
Thomas  Savery. 

A  share  of  the  dissatisfaction  of  the  poor 
management  of  the  early  times  arose  from  a 
lack  of  centralized  agencies.  A  Board  of  Over- 
seers was  chosen  in  1838  and  again  in  1845  but 
the  method  at  that  time  did  not  touch  the  popu- 
lar favor  and  permanent  Boards  were  not  elected 
until  1852.  Since  that  year  the  Almshouse  under 
the  management  of  the  Overseers  has  been  the 
unquestioned  system  governing  the  poor  depart- 
ment. 


THE     SECOND     SEPARATION  147 

In  the  march  of  events  the  dawn  of  the  20th 
century  found  almshouses  as  conducted  in  small 
towns  out  of  favor.  Still  more  centralized  pos- 
sibilities are  hinted  at  as  public  sentiment  ad- 
vances and  country  poor  houses  may  be  con- 
sidered a  thing  of  the  past.  Consequently  there 
is  no  agitation  looking  towards  replacing  the 
house  burned  in  1909  and  it  is  probable  that  a 
better  system  will  be  developed  from  the  un- 
scientific methods  now  in  vogue  in  this  humani- 
tarian branch  of  municipal  government. 

A  provision  for  education,  meagre  as  it  may 
seem  to  us,  was  among  the  early  duties  of  New 
England  town  fathers.  At  first  the  limit  of  ef- 
forts consisted  in  a  vote  in  Town  meeting  in- 
structing the  Selectmen  to  hire  a  school  master. 
The  labor  of  the  master  was  mainly  during  the 
Winter  months  and  there  was  no  minimum  or 
maximum  limit  to  the  age  of  his  pupils.  School 
houses  and  books  were  not  provided,  and  the 
seeker  for  'learning"  was  expected  to  interest 
himself  or  herself  to  the  extent  of  procuring 
books  and  of  finding  a  place  where  the  school 
might  be  held  in  session  provided  there  were 
pupils  enough  to  render  it  necessary.  From  this 
beginning  developed  the  District  School  system 
which  was  well  under  way  at  the  time  the  town 
was  incorporated,  the  Districts  having  been  or- 
ganized under  the  direction  of  the  Precinct. 

The  initial  move  of  the  Town  of  Plympton  for 
a  school  was  at  a  town  meeting  in  1708  when  the 
freeholders  voted  to  have  a  school  and  instructed 
their  Selectmen  to  hire  a  school  master. 


148  HISTORY   OF    CARVER 

Two  schools  were  established  at  that  time,  one 
at  Colchester  and  one  at  Lakenham,  but  in  1716 
the  master  was  authorized  to  spend  one  fourth  of 
his  time  at  Lakenham  and  one  fourth  at  South 
Meadows.  By  this  it  appears  that  one  half  of 
the  school  money  was  devoted  to  the  South  which 
at  the  time  had  established  two  schools. 

In  1734-5  the  South  Precinct  (recently  incor- 
porated) was  exempt  from  a  school  tax  provided 
it  maintain  a  school  of  its  own,  and  by  1755  while 
the  town  voted  to  have  a  school  in  each  Parish 
the  South  Precinct  was  left  to  control  its  own, 
Samuel  Shaw  being  the  authorized  agent  to  hire 
a  master,  and  Capt.  Barnabas  Shurtleff,  Dea. 
Crocker  and  Samuel  Shaw  constituted  a  com- 
mittee to  ^' model"  the  Districts  in  the  South. 
This  may  be  considered  the  basis  of  our  school 
system. 

There  were  three  Districts  at  that  time,  Laken- 
ham, Popes  Point  and  South  Meadows,  Dea. 
Crocker  representing  the  first  District,  Capt. 
Shurtleff  the  second  and  Samuel  Shaw  the  third. 
At  the  time  Carver  was  incorporated  three  dis- 
tricts more  had  been  carved  out  of  the  Precinct 
and  at  a  town  meeting  in  November,  1790,  Benja- 
min Crocker,  Consider  Chase,  Samuel  Lucas  3d, 
Capt.  William  Atwood,  Benjamin  AVhite  and 
Caleb  Atwood  were  named  as  a  committee  to  re- 
model the  school  Districts  in  town  and  apportion 
the  money.  In  1802  a  seventh  District  was  es- 
tablished known  as  the  Federal  District  and  made 
up  of  the  families  residing  around  the  Federal 
Furnace,  and  in  1851  the  Western  part  of  District 


THE     SECOND     SEPARATION  149 

No.  4  was  set  off  as  a  separate  District  No.  8. 
With  occasionally  voting  a  family  from  one  Dis- 
trict to  another,  and  a  general  vote  in  1843  an- 
nexing the  Federal  District  to  No.  4  and  the 
"Snappit"  District  to  No.  1,  these  Districts  con- 
tinued up  to  the  time  the  District  system  was 
abolished.  After  the  two  Districts  named  were 
merged  Summer  schools  were  maintained  at 
Federal  and  Snappit,  those  old  districts  drawing 
their  proportional  part  of  the  school  funds  for 
Summer  schools  while  scholars  over  eight  years 
of  age  attended  other  schools  in  Winter. 

The  town's  authority  in  the  school  was  an 
agent  elected  in  town  meeting  from  the  District, 
but  the  schools  were  in  the  control  of  the  patrons 
of  the  school  who  resided  in  the  District,  and  in 
some  of  the  last  years  of  the  system  the  town 
showed  its  hostility  to  the  growing  sentiment  in 
the  direction  of  town  control  by  voting  to  permit 
each  District  to  elect  its  own  agent.  Each  Dis- 
trict built  and  paid  for  its  own  school  house,  the 
management  of  the  schools  was  in  the  hands  of 
District  officers,  and  resenting  the  approaching 
town  control  it  was  frequently  voted  ''that  the 
Prudential  Committee  be  the  School  Committee 
required  by  law. ' ' 

There  were  various  plans  of  dividing  the  school 
money  which  was  raised  in  a  lump  sum  and 
assessed  by  the  town  Assessors.  At  first  it  was 
divided  according  to  the  polls  and  estates  in  each 
District.  Later  is  was  divided  according  to  the 
number  of  scholars  in  each  District,  and  as  the 
battle  between  the  advocates  of  the  Town  and 


150  HISTORY   OF   CARVER 

the  District  systems  waged  hotter  the  town 
showed  its  colors  by  voting  that  each  District 
should  draw  all  the  school  money  paid  into  the 
town  treasury  within  its  limits. 

For  several  years  after  the  town's  incorpora- 
tion there  were  but  two  school  houses  witliin  the 
municipality  Districts  2,  3,  5,  6,  and  7  holding- 
their  schools  in  private  buildings.  The  first 
building  in  the  Lakenham  District  stood  directly 
south  of  the  Green ;  the  second  building  was  built 
in  1849  and  used  until  the  present  school  house 
was  opened  in  1903.  The  original  Popes  Point 
school  house  stood  on  the  east  side  of  the  river 
a  short  distance  west  of  the  residence  of  George 
W.  Atwood;  the  building  now  in  use  was  erected 
on  its  present  site  in  1854.  The  first  building  in 
the  Center  District  stood  opposite  the  residence 
of  Mrs.  Maria  Y.  Shurtleff  and  used  until  the 
present  Primary  school  house  was  erected  in 
1850.  The  old  school  house  of  South  Carver 
stood  near  the  Indian  land  east  of  the  brook. 
Upon  the  secession  of  the  western  section  form- 
ing District  No.  8  the  old  building  was  discon- 
tinued and  the  present  school  house  erected  which 
was  opened  for  school  purposes  in  1852.  The 
first  building  in  Wenham  stood  opposite  the  pres- 
ent school  house  which  was  built  in  1855.  '  *  Snap- 
pit,"  once  a  populous  village,  erected  its  first 
school  house  on  Snappit  Green ;  the  second  build- 
ing built  about  1850  was  moved  to  North  Carver 
in  1880  and  fitted  for  a  Grammar  school.  Federal 
District  never  had  a  school  house;  the  original 
building   in    District   No.    8    stood    east    of   the 


THE     SECOND     SEPARATION  151 

residence  of  Capt.  William  S.  McFarlin  which 
was  moved  to  its  present  location  near  Bates 
Pond  in  1900.  In  1890  a  small  school  house  was 
built  near  East  Head  bogs  but  owing  to  the 
vacilating  population  of  that  section  it  was  in 
use  but  a  few  years. 

In  addition  to  the  public  schools  there  were 
private  schools  in  operation  in  the  southern  sec- 
tion of  the  town  in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century  conducted  only  during  the  summer 
months  and  supported  by  private  subscriptions. 
The  school  was  first  held  in  the  South  Meeting 
house,  the  front  seats  being  used.  Later  a  small 
building  was  erected  where  afterwards  stood  the 
blacksmith  shop  of  Ellis  Maxim,  and  in  1833 
through  the  efforts  of  John  Savery  and  Ezra 
Thompson  a  school  building  for  summer  use  was 
erected  on  the  Eidge  near  the  Israel  Thomas 
place.  This  was  in  use  but  a  few  years.  It  is  a 
significant  fact  that  the  total  annual  enrollment 
has  not  materially  varied  since  the  town  was  in- 
corporated. 

The  High  school  was  established  in  1897,  hold- 
ing its  sessions  in  the  Town  Hall  until  the  High 
school  building  was  erected  in  1899. 

The  first  town  appropriation  for  schools  was 
thirty  pounds,  equal  in  the  exchange  of  the  times 
to  two  hundred  dollars.  This  annual  allowance 
was  annually  increased  until  it  reached  eleven 
hundred  dollars  when  the  system  was  abolished 
in  1869. 

In  considering  the  appropriations  up  to  this 
point  it  is  essential  to  remember  that  the  system 


152  HISTORY     OF     CARVER 

of  ''boarding  around"  was  in  vogue,  the  teachers 
being  compelled  to  board  a  proportional  time 
with  each  patron  of  the  school.  The  teacher 
whose  lot  was  cast  under  this  regime  could  tell 
entertaining  stories  of  her  experience,  and  while 
it  may  seem  something  like  a  hardship  the  teacher 
could  get  an  insight  into  the  nature  and  require- 
ments of  the  pupils  which  the  modern  trained 
educator  looks  upon  as  a  thing  beneath  her  dig- 
nity. 

The  leading  citizens  of  the  town  were  unalter- 
ably wedded  to  their  system,  and  as  the  statute 
required  a  vote  on  its  abolition  once  in  three 
years  beginning  with  1859  the  matter  was  one  of 
continual  agitation.  In  1863,  1866  and  1869  at 
the  regular  March  meetings  the  friends  of  the 
system  easily  prevailed;  but  at  a  special  meeting 
in  May,  1869,  the  majority  voted  to  submit  to  the 
inevitable  and  a  committee  composed  of  Thomas 
Cobb,  John  Bent,  John  Shaw,  Jesse  Murdock,  H. 
A.  Lucas,  Frederick  Cobb  and  Andrew  Griffith 
was  elected  to  appraise  the  several  school  build- 
ings in  town.  An  effort  to  reconsider  was  made 
at  a  meeting  June  20th,  called  upon  petition  of 
George  P.  Bowers  and  twelve  others  but  the  ma- 
jority refused  to  recede. 

Among  the  opponents  of  the  change  who  fought 
to  the  end  was  William  Savery.  Believing  the 
cause  of  education  would  be  injured  in  passing 
the  control  of  the  children  and  the  schools  into 
alien  hands  he  stubbornly  resisted  the  change. 
Mr.  Savery  had  taken  an  interest  in  the  schools 
in  many  ways.    He  furnished  a  large  bell  for  his 


02 

O     S 


THE     SECOND    SEPARATION  153 

own  school  District;  he  had  presented  each  Dis- 
trict in  town  with  a  library  of  forty-two  volumes 
each ;  and  for  several  years  he  had  added  one  hun- 
dred dollars  annually  to  the  town's  school  appro- 
priation. Benjamin  Ellis  and  E.  Tillson  Pratt 
were  also  interested  in  the  schools  to  the  extent 
of  leaving  substantial  endowments  for  their  en- 
couragement. 


THE   TEMPERANCE   MOVEMENT 

Evidently  the  remorse  over  the  evils  of  intem- 
perance was  not  marked  enough  in  the  eighteenth 
century  to  make  any  impression  on  public  senti- 
ment. Certainly  late  in  said  group  of  years  the 
remorse  was  not  of  such  a  type  as  to  interfere 
with  a  society  of  meeting  house  promoters  which 
voted  to  provide  ardent  spirits,  not  only  for  those 
who  were  to  do  the  tugging  and  sweating  at  the 
raising  of  their  structure,  but  to  those  who  at- 
tended in  their  capacity  as  curiosity  seekers,  and 
''liquor  sufficient  for  them  all"  is  written  boldly 
in  the  records. 

Then  again  it  is  evident  that  here  and  there, 
some  lonely  soul  condemned  to  serve  its  proba- 
tion in  advance  of  its  time  was  the  target  of  wise 
remonstrance  or  biting  sarcasm  as  perchance  it 
ventured  to  suggest  that  it  was  not  the  part  of 
wisdom  for  one  to  get  crosslegged  in  body  and 
mind  often  enough  to  hazard  his  dependents  on 
the  public  charge.  And  this  sentiment  grew  little 
by  little  until  it  produced  a  revolution  in  public 
sentiment  and  the  anti-tipplers  became  the 
dominant  force. 

This  town  seems  to  have  been  afflicted  with  the 
evil  early  and  hard.  Its  taverns,  located  about 
midway  between  the  rum  importing  towns  of 
New  Bedford  and  Plymouth  with  stages  making 

155 


156  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

their  periodical  stops;  its  furnace  stores  making 
a  specialty  of  rum  and  molasses;  and  with  its 
merchants*  with  an  eye  ever  out  for  business 
looked  after  the  supply.  And  the  furnacemen 
subjected  to  extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  with 
ample  spare  time  and  a  constant  credit  gave  a 
back  ground  for  the  demand. 

And  so  the  tavern  became  the  centre  of  the  evil 
on  which  the  invaders  trained  their  artillery. 
Around  these  taverns  were  centred  the  excite- 
ment, the  society,  the  loafers,  for  no  where  else 
was  the  opportunity.  And  there  was  the  news, 
for  there  were  no  newspapers  and  the  only  mails 
came  lumbering  along  in  the  stages.  A  letter 
from  New  York  was  marked  twenty  five  cents 
due  and  precious  glad  was  the  recipient  to  pay 
the  price,  for  it  was  a  rare  treat  to  hear  from 
such  a  remote  point  of  creation.  And  then  if  a 
•well-to-do  spendthrift  happened  to  be  a  passenger 
on  the  stage  he  would  be  sure  to  stop  to  warm  his 
frost  bitten  fingers  and  incidentally  stand  treat 
for  the  house,  and  it  would  be  little  less  than  a  mis- 
fortune to  be  reckoned  among  the  absentees.  For 
these  reasons,  and  others  unmentioned,  the  loaf- 
ers and  the  news  seekers  and  the  smoke-after-sup- 
per furnacemen  felt  it  a  duty  to  be  at  the  tavern 

*Benjamin  Ellis  and  Skipper  John  Bent  were  rivals  in  the  iron 
trade,  rum  trade,  etc.  Ellis  was  eminently  successful,  but  Bent 
failed  to  land,  hence  looked  upon  his  rival  with  suspicions.  Meet- 
ing at  a  town  meeting  when  the  agitation  against  rum  selling  was 
at  its  height,  Ellis  accosted  Bent  iu  this  bantering  way :  ' '  What 
do  you  say  Skipper?     The  ministers  say  they  are  going  to  send  us 

to   for  selling   rum.     What   do   you   say  to   that?"     The 

Skipper  improved  his  opportunity  with  his  piping  answer.  ' '  I 
don 't  believe  they  can  do  that.  But  they  may  send  some  of  us 
there  for  mixing  too  much  of  Sampsons  pond  water  with  it. ' ' 


THE     TEMPERANCE     MOVEMENT         157 

every  night  and  the  sounds  of  revelry  made  their 
mark  ultimately  upon  the  public  conscience. 

Thus  it  comes  to  pass  that  when  we  look  back 
to  that  tide  called  temperance  movement  which 
assumed  shape  and  motion  about  eighteen  hun- 
dred and  twenty  five,  the  old  tavern  lit  up  with 
its  glowing  fires  and  merry  with  its  jostling  joking 
loafers  breaks  upon  our  vision  with  the  glare  of 
a  noonday  sun. 

That  there  was  just  cause  for  the  movement 
does  not  admit  of  contradiction ;  that  public  senti- 
ment laid  dormant  so  long  invites  comment. 
Drunkenness  everywhere,  pauperism  on  the  in- 
crease, farms  passing  to  the  store  keepers,  even 
at  funerals  the  inebriety  of  those  in  official 
capacities  shocked  the  sensibilities  of  the  mourn- 
ers. And  so  we  do  not  marvel  that  when  the  un- 
lucky number  had  been  reeled  off  of  the  nineteenth 
century  the  voters  in  town  meeting  assembled, 
with  no  opposition  on  record,  decided  "to  have 
a  stroke  in  the  warrant  for  the  May  meeting  for 
taking  up  rum." 

The  State  had  taken  hold  of  the  subject  with 
its  legislation  when  in  1825  the  Selectmen  of  Car- 
ver were  instructed  to  use  their  influence  for  the 
suppression  of  the  evils  of  intemperance  in  town 
according  to  law;  and  two  years  later  Ezra 
Thompson,  Samuel  Shaw  and  Thomas  Adams 
were  constituted  a  committee  to  enforce  the  laws 
relating  to  Taverners  and  Retailers.  In  their  re- 
port the  committee  says: 

''Your  committee  have  viewed  with  grief  the 
increased  progress  of  dissipation  in  the  town  of 


158  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

Carver  and  feel  anxious  that  some  arrangement 
might  be  made  which  will  come  within  the  limit 
of  the  authority  of  the  town  to  check  the  progress 
of  that  evil  which  in  our  opinion  is  the  principle 
cause  of  the  multiplied  crime  and  poverty  which 
the  inhabitants  of  the  town  are  becoming  noted 
for,  and  your  committee  are  of  the  opinion  that 
these  evils  are  promoted  by  a  want  of  due  ob- 
servance of  the  laws  by  the  licensed  houses  and 
stores  in  town." 

As  a  step  towards  the  solution  of  the  problem 
the  committee  recommended: 

First. 
That  a  committee  of  three  be  chosen  by  bal- 
lot to  act  with  the  Selectmen  in  posting  in  the 
licensed  places  the  names  of  those  who  are 
known  to  be  notoriously  intemperate. 

Second. 
That  a  committee  of  seven  be  elected  to  be 
known  as  a  Committee  of  observation  to  make 
a  note  of  every  violation  of  the  laws  and  re- 
port to  the  Selectmen. 

Third. 
The    Selectmen   to   take    cognizance    of    such 
complaints    and   when    proved   to    annul    the 
license    and    commence    action    against    said 
parties. 

These  recommendations  were  accepted  by  the 
town  and  for  the  first  commiftee,  those  making 
the  suggestions  were  named.  The  committee  of 
observation  was  composed  of  Dea.  Levi  Vaughan, 
Jonathan   Atwood,    Thomas    Hammond,   Joseph 


THE     TEMPERANCE     MOVEMENT         159 

Barrows,  Lieut.  John  Sliaw,  Levi  Sherman  and 
Ebenezer  Dunham. 

While  these  committees  may  be  assumed  to 
have  worked  with  determination  along  the  lines 
mapped  out,  the  evils  of  intemperance  did  not  dis- 
appear, if  in  fact  there  was  any  visible  cessation. 

In  1829  John  Savery  took  up  the  problem  in  a 
special  town  meeting.  As  a  result  of  his  efforts 
an  inquisition  was  named  composed  of  Benjamin 
Ellis,  Ezra  Thompson,  Jesse  Murdock,  Lot 
Shurtleff,  Jonathan  Atwood,  Capt.  Samuel  Shaw, 
Alvin  Vaughan,  Capt.  Thomas  Cobb,  Capt.  Levi 
Vaughan,  Levi  Sherman,  Benjamin  Ransom, 
John  Savery  and  Lewis  Pratt.  The  prescribed 
duties  of  the  inquisition  were  to  watch  over  the 
habits  of  their  fellow  townsmen  and  if  in  their 
judgment  any  were  found  spending  too  much  of 
their  time  around  the  taverns  a  report  signed  by 
any  three  of  the  committee  brought  the  matter  to 
the  attention  of  the  Selectmen.  The  time  of  this 
method  was  brief  but  it  was  the  means  of  plac- 
ing several  under  guardianship  and  out  of  the 
reach  of  the  greedy  retailer. 

In  1832  the  Selectmen  were  under  instructions 
to  post  the  names  of  those  ''who  were  misspend- 
ing their  time  and  property  by  the  excessive  use 
of  intoxicating  liquors,"  and  Eufus  Sherman, 
Samuel  Briggs,  Lot  Shurtleff,  Thomas  Maxim, 
John  S.  Lucas,  Isaac  Dunham  and  Ebenezer 
Dunham,  constituted  a  standing  committee  for  the 
prosecution  of  illegal  liquor  sellers. 

This  first  outbreak  of  the  temperance  move- 
ment failed  to  eradicate  the  evils  of  intemperance 


160  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

and  the  first  promoters  became  disheartened. 
There  naturally  came  a  lull  in  the  efforts  while 
the  need  of  corrective  steps  did  not  abate.  The 
efforts  of  those  who  were  recorded  against  the 
evil  were  centered  in  efforts  to  enforce  the  laws 
against  illegal  sales,  until  1856  when  an  attempt 
was  made  to  regulate  the  traffic  by  the  adoption 
of  the  Town  agency  plan. 

According  to  his  bond  the  agent  was  to  sell  **to 
be  used  in  the  arts,  and  for  mechanical,  chemical 
and  medicinary  purposes  and  for  no  other." 
Very  little  was  called  for  in  the  arts,  or  for  me- 
chanical or  chemical  purposes,  but  the  records 
show  that  it  was  used  liberally  for  medicinal  pur- 
poses. With  few  exceptions  the  8,500  sales  re- 
corded while  the  plan  was  in  vogue  were  for 
medicine.  A  well  known  resident  who  had  served 
the  town  in  various  public  capacities  headed  the 
list  May  28,  1856,  with  one  gallon  of  gin  and  one 
gallon  of  New  England  rum  for  medicinal  pur- 
poses. 

The  agency  was  continued  nearly  twenty  years 
but  it  failed  to  eradicate  the  evils  of  intemper- 
ance; and  this  fate  reached  also  the  State  pro- 
hibitory law  that  followed  and  the  local  option 
rule  of  later  days. 

Working  outside  of  the  channels  of  legislation, 
and  on  moral  suasion  lines,  have  been  instituted 
several  temperance  societies. 

Wankinquoah  Division,  No.  135,  Sons  of  Tem- 
perance, was  organized  Nov.  3,  1859,  in  Bay  State 
hall  with  the  following  charter  members : 


THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 


THE     TEMPERANCE     MOVEMENT         161 

William  S.  McFarlin,  John  Murdock,  Benjamin 
Harlow,  Elisha  M.  Dunham,  Hiram  0.  Tillson, 
Andrew  Griffith,  Ephraim  Griffith,  Isaac  Harlow, 
Simeon  Harlow,  Joseph  T.  McFarlin,  Solomon  F. 
McFarlin,  Joseph  T.  Shurtleff,  Alonzo  Shaw, 
Lucian  T.  Hammond,  William  Hammond  and 
Jason  Atwood.  These  ladies  were  also  initiated 
as  visitors :    Mrs.  Mary  A.  Murdock,  Mrs.  Nancy 

B.  Perkins,  and  Misses  Eliza  Shaw,  Amelia  Sher- 
man, Harriet  Atwood,  Lucretia  McFarlin,  Mercy 
J.  McFarlin,  Lydia  Atwood,  Deborah  Bumpus, 
Hannah  Tillson,  Helen  Griffith,  Eliza  Ellis,  Mary 
E.  Shaw,  Harriet  Tillson,  Lois  Smith,  Hannah 
Smith,  Elizabeth  Maxim,  Elizabeth  Shaw,  Lydia 
Shaw,  Melissa  Atwood  and  Carrie  B.  Griffith. 
This  order  continued  in  active  operation  until  the 
surrender  of  its  charter,  Oct.  10, 1872. 

Five  years  later  Echo  Lake  Lodge,  I.  0.  G.  T., 
was  organized  in  the  same  hall  with  the  following 
charter  members :    William  S.  McFarlin,  Alfred 

C.  Covill,  Lucie  H.  Gill,  Lizzie  Leach,  Ella  Lovell,, 
T.  T.  Vaughan,  Edward  Vaughan,  J.  A. 
Vaughan,  Eben  Crowell,  Bell  Faulkner,  Nannie 
Douglass,  Emma  Blake,  Frank  Case,  Charles 
Sherman,  Laura  Shaw,  Ella  Sears,  William  Miller,, 
C.  F.  Tillson,  Elmer  Shaw  and  Emma  Souther. 
The  charter  of  this  society  was  surrendered  in 
1881. 

Winthrop  Lodge,  I.  0.  G.  T.,  No.  247  was  or- 
ganized in  Winthrop  hall,  Oct.  28,  1889,  with 
charter  members  as  follows :  William  S.  McFar- 
lin, Nelson  F.  Manter,  Thomas  P.  Manter,  James 
E.  Brett,  Ira  B.  Bumpus,  Zelotus  K.  Eldredge, 


162  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

Albert  F.  Atwood,  Jason  B.  McFarlin,  John  B. 
McFarlin,  Silvanus  L.  Brett,  Hannah  A.  Brett,  M. 
Elvira  Briggs,  Lizzie  M.  Schouler,  Z.  W.  Andrews, 
Emma  F.  Manter,  Amanda  J.  Adams,  Ella  F. 
Manter,  Sarah  J.  Swift,  Ida  M.  Tillson,  Mabel  M. 
McFarlin,  Nellie  W.  Shaw,  Edward  C.  Shaw  and 
Hannah  W.  Atwood.  The  efforts  of  this  society 
resulted  in  the  building  of  Good  Templars  hall. 

The  Carver  W.  C.  T.  U.  was  organized  April 
14,  1893  with  twenty  five  members.  Mrs.  Mary 
Tobey  was  the  first  President;  Mrs.  Dessie 
Vaughan,  Secretary  and  Mrs.  L.  C.  Vaughan, 
Treasurer.  April  26th  of  the  same  year  the  Car- 
ver L.  T.  L.  was  organized  with  Mrs.  P.  Jane  Bar- 
rows as  President. 

The  South  Carver  W.  C.  T.  U.  was  organized 
Feb.  26,  1884,  with  Mrs.  D.  M.  Bates,  President, 
and  Mrs.  John  S.  Cartee,  Secretary. 


THE  BAPTIST   CHURCH 

Somewhere  around  the  year  1760  a  cloud  no 
bigger  than  a  man's  hand  appeared  on  the  hori- 
zon of  the  orthodox  world  of  the  South  Precinct 
of  Plympton.  Witness  a  vote  of  said  body-politic 
in  March,  1763  when  without  ceremony  and  not 
without  apparent  spite  the  freeholders  voted  not 
to  abate  the  taxes  of  those  calling  themselves 
''Baptes"  on  the  list  of  Collector  Elkanah  Lucas. 
Rowland  Hammond  was  among  the  first  to  break 
with  the  established  church,  and  assisted  by  a 
little  band  of  agitators,  he  made  life  worth  living 
among  his  neighbors  before  and  after  the  Revolu- 
tion. 

It  would  be  a  matter  worthy  of  protracted  com- 
ment if  there  were  not  a  little  mite  of  human  na- 
ture in  those  days,  so  what  of  it  if  an  occasional 
tight  fisted  tax  payer  did  make  a  stone  Easel  of  the 
new  faith  as  a  shield  against  the  darts  of  the  Pub- 
licans 1  But  there  is  not  an  apology  for  evidence 
to  indicate  that  the  devotees  of  the  young  sect 
were  not  as  sincere  a  band  of  reformers  as  those 
heroic  souls  that  came  over  in  the  Mayflower. 

Gradually  gaining  in  numbers  and  enthusiasm, 
by  1788  the  rulers  of  the  Precinct  were  compelled 
to  notice  them,  and  Thomas  Savery,  Capt.  Wil- 
liam Atwood  and  Isaiah  Tillson  were  sent  out  as 
pickets    to    investigate    affairs    around    South 

163 


164  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

Meadows  and  find  out  who  really  were,  and  who 
were  not,  Baptists.  The  Committee  trudged  down 
to  the  affected  region  and  learned  to  their  satis- 
faction that  there  were  a  few  heretics  in  the 
woods,  and  upon  the  information  thus  obtained 
the  Precinct  Assessors  were  instructed  to  post 
notices  to  the  effect  that  those  who  called  them- 
selves Baptist  must  file  certificates  with  said 
Board  if  they  wished  to  be  in  line  for  abatements. 
Eowland  Hammond  and  Frances  Bent  had  been 
outspoken  Baptists  so  long  that  they  looked  upon 
this  move  as  a  means  of  humiliation  and  they  re- 
fused to  register.  And  for  their  particular  bene- 
fit the  Precinct  ordered  that  they  must  produce 
a  certificate  from  a  Baptist  Elder  if  they  would 
escape  the  wrath  of  the  tax  gatherer. 

In  April,  1789,  William  Shurtleff,  Nathaniel 
Atwood,  Noah  Pratt,  Billa  Bryant,  John  Tripp 
and  Mrs.  Abigail  Lucas  met  together  to  discuss 
the  situation.  After  thoroughly  considering  their 
numerical  strength  (weakness),  their  financial 
straits  and  the  rashness  of  withdrawing  from  the 
old  church,  they  postponed  temporarily  the 
launching  of  the  proposed  society.  But  in  June, 
1791  the  devotees  of  the  new  faith  had  reached  a 
stage  in  which  they  felt  justified  in  taking  active 
steps  towards  the  organization  of  their  church. 
John  Tripp  was  instructed  to  transcribe  the 
Articles  of  Faith  of  the  third  Baptist  church  of 
Middleboro,  and  these  with  a  few  alterations  be- 
came the  Articles  of  Faith  of  the  first  Baptist 
church  of  Carver.  After  taking  counsel  of  Elders 
Bachus  of  Middleboro,  and  Nelson  of  Taunton,  the 


THE    BAPTIST     CHURCH  165 

little  group  adjourned  to  July  when  the  following 
signed  the  covenant:  William  Shurtleff,  Na- 
thaniel Atwood,  Seth  Barrows,  Benjamin  Ransom, 
Noah  Pratt,  Billa  Bryant,  Rowland  Hammond, 
John  Tripp,  Levi  Shurtleff,  Ruth  Faunce,  Mercy 
Shurtleff  and  Priscilla  Shurtleff. 

The  society  set  out  in  earnest  to  arrange  for 
the  ordination  of  a  pastor  and  after  a  few  har- 
monious meetings  it  was  voted  to  ordain  as  the 
society's  first  preacher  one  of  its  charter  mem- 
bers, John  Tripp. 

The  Council  which  convened  Sept.  27th,  1791 
was  composed  of  Elder  Isaac  Bachus  and  Dea. 
Alden  from  the  first  church  of  Middleboro ;  Elder 
George  Robinson  and  delegates  Lothrop  and 
Howard  from  Bridgewater ;  Elder  Ebenezer  Nel- 
son and  Stephen  Nelson  from  Taunton ;  and  Dea- 
cons James  and  George  Shaw  from  the  third 
church  of  Middleboro. 

A  contest  for  the  position  of  deacon  was  settled 
by  the  decision  of  the  society  to  elect  two  and  both 
Rowland  Hammond  and  Billa  Bryant  realized 
their  highest  aspirations.  Elder  Tripp  was  a 
faithful  laborer  who  found  a  place  for  himself  in 
the  hearts  of  his  co-workers,  and  he  enjoyed  the 
complete  confidence  of  every  member  of  the 
society.  During  this  period  the  society  had  the 
use  of  ^he  South  Meeting  house  and  many  came 
into  the  church  from  the  Fresh  Meadow  Village. 
The  society  flourished  under  the  labors  of  its  first 
minister  and  at  the  beginning  connected  itself 
with  the  Warren  Association.  Elder  Tripp  was 
released  in  November  1798  to  be  ordained  over  the 


166  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

Baptist  church  of  Hebron  in  the  district  of  Maine 
to  which  charge  he  carried  a  warm  recommen- 
dation from  his  first  church. 

For  seven  years  following  this  ministry  the 
society  was  without  an  ordained  leader.  While 
too  poor  financially  to  support  a  minister  it  was 
too  aggressive  to  compromise  fully  with  the  old 
society,  and  frequent  church  conferences  were 
held  while  the  whip  was  in  constant  use.  Oc- 
casional public  services  were  held  in  which  Elders 
Samuel  Abbott,  Ebenezer  Nelson  and  Ezra  Ken- 
dall lent  their  assistance.  In  the  year  1804,  Elder 
Kendall  appears  to  have  been  the  pastor  of  the 
church.  Federal  village  was  a  favored  place  of 
meeting  where  at  the  residence  of  Moses  Wright 
baptisms  were  celebrated  and  the  church  received 
communionists  which  in  after  years  became  the 
staunch  defenders  of  the  faith. 

In  the  summer  of  1805  a  new  day  dawned  upon 
the  society — a  day  marked  by  great  enthusiasm — 
and  which  added  materially  to  its  numbers  al- 
though its  financial  standing  was  little  improved. 
In  November  of  that  year  David  Bursell  having 
become  a  member  of  the  society  was  called  to  its 
ministry.  The  sentiments  breathed  in  the  formal 
call,  as  also  in  Bursell 's  reply,  did  not  seek  to  be- 
little the  financial  weakness,  and  it  was  under  the 
most  gloomy  skies  that  the  new  minister  began 
his  labors.  He  was  ordained  in  June  1806  by  a 
Council  composed  of  Elder  Simeon  Coombs,  Peter 
Hoar,  Barnabas  Clark  and  Moses  Perras  of  the 
second  church  of  Middleboro ;  Elder  Samuel  Nel- 
son, Elisha  Clark  and  Joseph  Shaw  of  the  third 


THE    BAPTIST     CHURCH  167 

churcli  of  Middleboro;  and  Elder  Samuel  Abbot, 
Abitha  Briggs,  Ebenezer  Briggs  and  Deacon 
Briggs  of  the  fourth  church  of  Middleboro. 

Under  the  ministry  of  Elder  Bursell  the  society 
gained  materially  in  membership  but  it  was  con- 
tinually submerged  in  matters  of  finance.  The 
meetings  and  public  services  were  held  at  various 
places,  sometimes  at  the  South  Meeting  house, 
sometimes  at  the  Spruce  church,*  and  often  at 
private  dwellings.  The  residence  of  Lieut.  Caleb 
Atwood  was  a  favorite  place  of  meeting,  being 
centrally  located  for  South  Meadows,  South  Mid- 
dleboro and  Federal.  At  this  period  the  society 
had  an  active  membership  over  the  Middleboro 
line  and  in  1812  it  was  voted  to  advise  the  Middle- 
boro branch  to  withdraw  and  organize  a  fifth 
Baptist  church  for  that  town. 

The  society  was  incorporated  June  22,  1811 
with  the  following  charter  members : 

Benjamin  Shurtleffi  William  Atwood 

Flavel  Shurtleff  Asaph  Atwood 

Lot  Shurtleff  Jonathan  Atwood 

Ebenezer  Shurtleff  Joseph  Atwood 

Gideon  Shurtleff  liazarus  Atwood 

Abial  Shurtleff  Samuel  Atwood 

Gideon  Shurtleff,  Jr.  Samuel  Atwood,  Jr. 

Frances  Shurtleff  Stephen  Atwood 

Nathaniel  Shurtleff  Levi  Atwood 
Nathaniel  Shurtleff,  2nd.         Caleb  Atwood 

Peter  Shurtleff  Abner  Atwood 

Thomas  Shurtleff  John  Atwood 

*Now  the  South  Middleboro  M.  E.  church. 


168 


HISTORY    OF     CARVER 


Jolin  Atwood,  Jr. 
Joshua  Atwood 
Nathaniel  Atwood 
"^Villiam  Atwood,  2nd. 
Samuel  Shaw 
John  Shaw 
Silvanus  Shaw 
Silvanus  Shaw,  Jr. 
Levi  Shaw 
Abigail  Shaw 
Benjamin  Ward 
Benjamin  Ward,  Jr. 
Samuel  Lucas 
Carver  Barrows 
Seth  Barrows 
Ephraim  Griffith 
Huit  McFarlin 
Bethnel  Tillson 
David  Vaughan 
Joseph  Ellis,  Jr. 
Ellis  Shaw 
Joseph  Robbins 


Eli  Thomas 

Benjamin  White 

William  Murdock 

Ebenezer  Dunham 

Jabez  Maxim 

Jabez  Maxim,  Jr. 

Thomas  Maxim 

John  Bumpus 

Isaac  Cushman 

Hosea  Lucas 

Cornelius  Dunham 

Calvin  Lucas 

John  Appling 

Lewis  Pratt 

Swanzea  Hart 

John  Shaw  of  Middleboro 

Ephraim  Ward  of  Middle- 
boro 

Gideon  Perkins  of  Middle- 
boro 

Nathaniel  Shurtleff  of  Mid- 
dleboro 


Elder  Bursell  was  followed  by  Elder  Cummings 
and  these  Elders  left  the  Baptist  cliurcli  about 
the  same  time  that  Eev.  John  Shaw  severed  his 
connection  with  the  old  society,  and  at  this  point 
the  rivalry  between  the  two  societies  abated. 
Neither  was  in  a  position  to  ordain  a  minister,  and 
while  each  should  constantly  repair  its  sectarian 
walls,  they  travelled  together  for  nearly  a  half 
century.  Then  turning  their  backs  upon  the  past, 
and  unhampered  by  the  necessity  of  modifying 
articles  of  faith,  in  a  modern  age  each  was  free  to 
carve  out  its  own  fortune. 


tD 


a 
>^ 

P-i 
O  P3 


^^ 

GQ 
I— I    ^ 

Q  ^ 
O    o 


THE    BAPTIST     CHURCH  169 

To  add  to  the  discouragements  of  this  year  1815, 
both  societies  were  without  a  meeting  house.  The 
temple  of  the  mother  society,  after  eighty-five 
years  of  wear  and  tear,  had  become  too  rickety 
for  safety,  and  after  fruitless  efforts  to  repair  the 
structure  or  build  anew,  the  societies  began  to 
utilize  the  school  houses.  Religion  had  decayed 
with  the  meeting  house  to  such  an  extent  that  the 
leaders  became  alarmed  at  "the  state  of  religion 
in  the  town,"  and  through  their  united  efforts 
resulted  the  memorable  revival  of  1820-23.  Mis- 
sionaries were  sent  into  the  south  end  of  the  town, 
and  while  the  people  of  that  section  declined  to 
connect  themselves  with  either  of  the  old  societies, 
they  were  aroused  to  repair  their  old  meeting 
house,  which  was  started  on  its  final  career.  Many 
converts  were  made  during  these  revival  years  for 
both  of  the  societies,  and  as  a  practical  result  the 
new  church  building  at  the  Green  was  built  in  1823 
and  the  Central  temple  the  year  following.  The 
fact  that  two  edifices  were  erected  indicates  that 
in  the  minds  of  the  leaders  the  line  of  cleavage 
between  the  societies  was  irreparable. 

Up  to  the  middle  of  the  century  the  societies 
continued  to  travel  together,  and  even  for  twenty- 
five  years  longer  the  Congregationalists  held  ser- 
vices in  the  Baptist  temple  by  virtue  of  shares  of 
ownership,  when  the  church  was  not  in  use  by  the 
Baptists.  During  these  years,  however,  each  so- 
ciety held  its  own  church  conferences  and  also 
frequent  public  services  under  ministers  of  its 
own  persuasion.  In  1834  the  Articles  of  Faith  of 
the  First  Baptist  church  of  Boston  were  adopted 


170  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

as  the  faith  of  the  Carver  society.  The  decade 
1840  to  1850  was  marked  by  still  further  divisions 
in  the  church.  The  most  potent  factors  were  the 
Advent  movement  at  the  North  and  Methodist  and 
Universalist  movements  at  the  South. 

This  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  was  a 
period  marked  by  much  activity  in  the  sectarian 
world  and  all  evidence  points  to  the  fact  that  the 
Baptist  church  of  Carver  played  its  part  with 
vigor.  The  church  was  without  a  pastor  the 
greater  part  of  the  time,  but  during  this  period 
the  temple  was  erected  and  its  membership  largely 
increased. 

Its  field  was  a  large  one,  covering  the  Southern 
half  of  Carver,  South  Middleboro  and  a  section  of 
Eochester.  It  received  an  influx  of  communicants 
from  South  Middleboro  and  for  a  year  or  more  it 
was  called  the  Baptist  Church  of  Carver  and  Mid- 
dleboro. Its  services,  previously  to  the  building 
of  its  meeting  house,  were  held  in  the  South  Meet- 
ing house,  the  Spruce  Meeting  house,  and  at  pri- 
vate residences  at  Federal,  South  Carver  and 
Fresh  Meadows. 

Not  only  did  the  society  work  determinedly  to 
make  converts,  but  it  watched  carefully  after  the 
welfare  of  its  devotees.  A  member  failing  to 
attend  a  regular  meeting  was  visited  by  a  commit- 
tee and  required  to  show  cause  ' '  why  they  had  not 
been  up  to  their  duty  in  attending  the  church  to 
which  they  belonged. ' '  While  there  were  numer- 
ous counts  of  unscriptural  conduct,  not  a  few 
of  the  committee's  duties  consisted  in  enquiring 
after  *'the  state  of  mind"  of  the  suspect.    In 


THE    BAPTIST     CHURCH  171 

those  early  days  of  the  disintegration  of  the 
church  the  Baptist  church  of  Carver  made  an 
heroic  effort  to  hold  its  own.  Second  only  to 
heresy  as  a  disturbing  factor  was  the  alarming 
increase  of  intemperance  that  showed  itself  from 
1825  to  1850,  and  this  gave  the  church  committees 
many  subjects  for  investigation. 


Ministers 

John  Tripp  1791—1798 

Ezra  Kendall  1804 

David  Bursell  1805—1810 

Abraham  Cummings  1811 — 1814 

James  Parsons.  1821 

David  Curtis  1832—1833 

Samuel  Glover  1838—1839 

John  B.  Parris  1842 

Caleb  Benson  1850—1851 

J.  M.  Mace  1852—1853 

C.  S.  Thompson  1864—1865 

Wmiam  Leach  1865—1870 
Henry  C.  Coombs                        '        1872—1873 

Noah  FuUerton  1875—1879 

Joshua  F.  Packard  1883—1887 

Willard  F.  Packard  1887—1890 

James  J.  Tobey  1890—1893 

C.  A.  Parker  1894 

Joseph  Ellison  1895—1899 

H.  Y.  Vinal  1900—1901 

Albert  Leach  1902—1903 

A.  Davis  Graffam  1904 

George  H.  Lockhart  1905 — 


172  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

Temporary  preachers  not  included  in  preced- 
ing list : 

Elder  T.  Smith  1819 

Rev.  Asa  Niles  1834 

Rev.  Perez  L.  Gushing  1858 

Rev.  Samuel  Cheever  1871 

Rev.  Walter  Chase 
Rev.  H.  W.  Buckles  1881 

(Newton  Theological  School.) 
Rev.  Wellington  Camp  1882 

(Newton  Theological  School.) 
Rev.  E.  Hatfield  1883 

(Newton  Theological  School.) 

Clerhs 

In  the  early  days  of  the  church  the  minister 
made  the  records  on  loose  sheets  of  paper. 
Neither  he  nor  the  clerks  that  followed  signed 
their  records.  In  1806  this  church  named  a  com- 
mittee to  gather  the  loose  records  and  copy  the 
records  in  a  book.  John  Drew,  who  served  as 
clerk  one  year,  was  not  a  member  of  the  society, 
but  acted  with  it  under  a  vote  of  the  church.  The 
following  served  as  clerks  of  this  church : 

John  Tripp  1789—1798 

John  Drew  1802 

Jacob  Shaw  1803—1805 

Samuel  Lucas  1806—1807 

Ebenezer  Shurtleff  1808—1850 

Jacob  Shaw  (Middleboro  branch)  1809 

Horatio  A.  Lucas  1853—1887 

James  A.  Vaughan  1888 


THE    BAPTIST     CHURCH  173 

Deacons 

Rowland  Hammond,  1791—1801 

BiUa  Bryant,  1791—1808 

Jacob  Shaw,  1802—1818 

Joseph  Robbins,  ,                        1809—1833 

Ebenezer  Dunham,  1810 — 1820 

Ebenezer  Shurtleff,  1820—1850 

Ebenezer  Atwood,  1823 — 1851 

Ephraim  Dunham,  1851 — 1883 

Horatio  A.  Lucas,  1854—1887 

Samuel  W.  Gould,  1884—1892 

James  A.  Vaughan,  1890 — 

E.  Allan  Lucas,  1893— 


THE    METHODIST    CHURCH 

Rev.  Lorenzo  D.  Johnson  conducted  revival 
meetings  in  France*  school  house  in  the  spring 
of  1831,  during  which  many  conversions  were 
made  for  the  Methodist  faith.  The  larger 
part  of  these  conversions  were  residents  of  the 
Fresh  Meadow  village,  and  on  May  18th  of  the 
above  mentioned  year  Charles  Ryder,  as  leader, 
organized  a  class,  with  the  following  members: 
Anna  Ryder,  Sumner  Atwood,  Thomas  Maxim, 
Mkry  Atwood,  Ichabod  Shurtleff,  Patience 
Maxim,  Susan  A.  Maxim,  Sylvia  Shurtleff, 
Thomas  Maxim,  Jr.,  Edward  P.  Bumpus,  Alice 
Bumpus,  and  Sullivan  Gammons.  This  class  at 
once  affiliated  with  the  Reformed  Methodist  de- 
nomination and  entered  upon  its  designed  work 
with  enthusiasm,  holding  its  public  services  in 
school  houses  and  private  dwellings  under  the 
leadership  of  Elders  Pliny  Brett  and  Nathan  T. 
Clark. 

In  1836  a  second  series  of  revival  meetings 
were  held,  as  a  result  of  which  the  society  ma- 
terially increased  in  membership  and  then  decided 
to  adopt  the  Methodist  Protestant  church  disci- 
pline. For  the  succeeding  thirty  years  it  was 
known  as  the  Methodist  Protestant  church  of 
South  Carver.    In  the  words  of  Charles  Ryder,  its 

*School  house  in  South  Middleboro,  France   St. 

175 


176  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

promoter,  it  "protested  against  the  M.  E.  church 
government  but  adhered  to  all  its  fundamental 
truths  of  Methodism  as  taught  by  Wesley  its  great 
founder. ' ' 

With  the  spirit  of  a  new  society,  the  lack  of 
material  things  did  not  hinder  the  growth  of  the 
church.  During  the  following  seven  years  public 
services  were  held  part  of  the  time,  as  before,  in 
private  residences,  school  houses,  and  in  the  South 
Meeting  house.  By  1843  the  army  had  swelled  to 
such  proportions  that  the  leaders  felt  justified  in 
taking  active  steps  toward  the  building  of  a  meet- 
ing house,  and  in  April  of  that  year,  under  a  war- 
rant issued  by  John  Savery,  Esq.,  Charles  Ryder, 
Thomas  Maxim,  Jr.,  Thomas  Maxim  and  Seth  S. 
Maxim,  as  proprietors,  voted  to  build  a  meeting 
house,  and  to  insure  its  construction  they  signed 
for  the  necessary  number  of  shares.  The  building 
was  nominally  erected  under  the  pew-plan. 

Charles  Ryder,  Thomas  Maxim  and  Ichabod 
Shurtleff  were  chosen  trustees  and  also  building 
committee,  and  so  strenuously  did  they  carry  on 
the  work  that  the  edifice  was  dedicated  on  October 
20th  of  the  same  year.  On  that  day,  also,  pews 
were  struck  off  to  the  following,  who  became  the 
first' proprietors :  Atwood  Shaw,  Aaron  Nott, 
Charles  Ryder,  Thomas  Maxim,  Thomas  Maxim, 
Jr.,  Seth  S.  Maxim,  Ichabod  Shurtleff,  John 
Maxim,  David  Bates,  John  Thomas,  Betsey  Bum- 
pus,  Sumner  Atwood,  Nathaniel  Shurtleff ,  Nathan 
Avery,  and  Matthew  Cushing. 

The  construction  of  the  building  was  financed  by 
the  trustees,  Charles  Ryder    being    a    continual 


P 

o 


THE  METHODIST  CHURCH  177 

creditor,  and  to  his  generosity  and  disinterested- 
ness the  project  owes  much  of  its  success. 

From  this  point  stretching  through  nearly  two 
decades  a  remarkable  unity  marked  the  labors  of 
the  society.  The  first  quarterly  conference  was 
held  in  the  church  July  17,  1847,  with  Rev.  John 
Melish  presiding.  Charles  Eyder  was  chosen 
secretary  and  Thomas  Maxim,  Ichabod  Shurtleff 
and  Seth  S.  Maxim  standing  committee.  In 
February,  1850,  Ichabod  Shurtleff  was  chosen  as 
the  society's  first  delegate  to  an  annual  confer- 
ence. 

Beginning  in  December,  1857,  the  most  remark- 
able revival  in  the  history  of  the  society  was 
ushered  in.  Services  were  conducted  in  the  vestry 
for  upwards  of  one  hundred  consecutive  nights, 
and  forty  names  were  added  to  the  church  regis- 
ter. 

In  1859  camp  meetings  were  held  in  the  grove 
belonging  to  Sumner  Atwood,  easterly  from  his 
residence;  and  in  1860  began  the  collections  for 
the  Home  Missionary  cause. 

Following  this  for  six  years  the  society  waned. 
Some  of  its  stanch  and  active  members  had  en- 
listed in  the  army,  while  the  Union  society  was 
making  inroads  in  its  membership.  In  this  weak- 
ened condition  the  church  arranged  for  bi-weekly 
services  in  conjunction  with  the  church  at  South 
Middleboro,  Rev.  E.  W.  Barrows  supplying  both 
societies.  The  following  year  this  plan  was  dis- 
continued, and  Rev.  Mr.  Barrows  became  the  set- 
tled minister  of  the  Carver  church.  But  his  min- 
istry was  not  destined  to  end  without  dissensions 


178  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

and  in  1865  he  became  the  first  settled  minister 
over  the  Union  society,  carrying  with  him  some 
of  the  leaders  in  the  Methodist  society.  The  year 
following,  discouraged  by  these  dissensions,  the 
church  voted  to  ask  for  a  supply  from  the  M.  E. 
conference,  and  under  the  ministry  of  Eev.  T. 
Marsh  the  Methodist  Protestant  church  became 
affiliated  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  govern- 
ment. 

During  his  second  ministry  Rev.  Mr.  Hunt  agi- 
tated the  erection  of  a  chapel  in  South  Carver 
village  with  such  success  that  the  edifice  was  dedi- 
cated in  December,  1896. 


THE  UNION  CHUECH 


THE  METHODIST  CHURCH 


179 


Ministers 

Elders  Pliny  Brett,  Nathan  T. 

Clark 

1831—1850 

William  Tozer 

1851 

T.  M.  Hall 

1852 

William  Tozer 

1853—1856 

Pliny  Brett 

1857—1858 

S.  Y.  Wallace 

1859—1861 

E.  W.  Barrows 

1862—1864 

C.  Carter  and  R.  M.  Dorr 

1867 

Elisha  M.  Dunham 

1868 

Eben  Tirrell 

1870 

R.  M.  Dorr 

1871 

Paul  Tounsend 

1872—1873 

Edward  Williams 

1874—1876 

A.  B.  Besse 

1876—1877 

William  I.  Ward 

1878 

H.  W.  Hamblin 

1879 

J.  B.  Hamblin 

1880 

Charles  Smith 

1881 

E.  A.  Hunt 

1882—1885 

John  S.  Fish 

1886—1889 

J.  E.  Duxbury 

1890 

W,  E.  Manley 

1891 

T.  P.  Fisher 

1892 

E.  A.  Hunt 

1892—1897 

E.  G.  Babcock 

1898—1902 

Charles  G.  Johnson 

1903—1906 

E.  A.  Himt 

1907—1911 

Robert  E.  Bisbee 

1912— 

THE  ADVENT  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH 

This  society  had  its  inception  in  the  decade 
1840-1850,  when  fourteen  members  of  the  orthodox 
church,  converted  to  the  doctrines  of  William  Mil- 
ler, withdrew  from  the  old  church.  These  primi- 
tive members  of  the  Advent  church  were  Louisa 
L.  P.  Chase,  Persis  Lucas,  Winslow  Pratt,  Benja- 
min Ransom,  Levi  Ransom,  Lucy  Ransom,  Phebe 
Ransom,  Rebecca  Ransom,  Joseph  Robbins,  Jr., 
Patience  Robbins,  Eunice  Vaughan,  Isaac 
Vaughan,  Phebe  Vaughan,  Waitstill  Vaughan. " 

The  peculiar  mark  of  this  society  in  stationing 
ministers  to  work  with  them  instead  of  over  them 
has  been  attended  by  the  natural  consequence,  and 
most  of  the  pastors  of  the  church  have  had  other 
occupations  than  that  of  preaching.  Isaac 
Vaughan  was  their  first  leader,  deserving  the  title 
of  Elder  if  it  was  never  conferred.  He  furnished 
a  room  in  his  residence  near  the  centre  of  the  town 
which  was  used  as  the  meeting  house  of  the 
devotees  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war. 
There  the  regular  services  of  the  sect  were  held, 
and  there  also  revival  meetings  called  together 
old  and  young  from  all  sections  of  the  town. 

When  advanced  age  compelled  Mr.  Vaughan  to 
relinquish  the  leadership,  Benjamin  Ransom  as- 
sumed the  responsibility  for  the  work,  furnishing 

181 


182  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

a  room  in  his  residence  near  the  Wenham  school 
house,  which  was  the  headquarters  of  the  Advents 
until  the  chapel  was  built  in  1870. 

Up  to  this  point  the  sect  were  held  by  no  organi- 
zation, being  a  spontaneous  coming  together  of 
those  who  subscribed  to  a  common  faith,  but  when 
the  chapel  was  erected  a  formal  church  society 
was  organized  and  the  Advent  church  assumed  the 
regular  form,  although  it  affiliated  with  no  state 
organization  until  several  years  later. 

Under  the  conditions  above  noted  the  devotees 
of  this  faith  have  held  regular  services  since  they 
came  together  in  1845,  and  since  their  chapel  was 
erected,  although  there  have  been  years  when 
there  was  no  pastor  laboring  with  them,  their 
meeting  house  has  never  been  closed. 

William  E.  Hathaway  joined  the  sect  in  its  early 
days  and  became  a  prominent  worker,  assuming 
the  leadership  with  Benjamin  Ransom  when  he 
was  given  the  rank  of  Elder.  Aside  from  his  work 
as  a  preacher,  he  formed  a  wide  acquaintance  in 
the  county  as  a  peddler  of  dry  goods.  Elder  I.  I. 
Leslie  was  also  a  well  known  preacher  of  that 
period,  serving  the  society  a  short  time,  and  at 
intervals,  after  the  chapel  was  built.  Dr.  J.  R. 
Boynton  was  associated  with  Elder  Leslie  in  the 
first  year  of  the  organized  work  of  the  society,  and 
became  its  settled  pastor  late  in  the  year  1870. 
Under  the  ministry  of  Elder  Boynton,  small  pox 
appeared  in  Wenham,  and  it  fell  to  him  as  a  physi- 
cian to  treat  those  afflicted  with  the  malady. 

For  a  few  years  the  society  worked  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  Plymouth  church,  and  between  1875 


LEWI8  PRATT,  JK. 


THE  ADVENT  CHURCH  183 

and  1880  Reverends  John  M.  Curry  and  Frank 
Shattuck  served  both  societies. 


Those  who  have  been  leaders  of  the  faith  since 
its  establishment  in  Carver,  either  as  elders  or 
ministers,  have  been : 

Elder  Isaac  Vaughan  1845—1860 

Elder  Benjamin  Ransom  1860—1870 

Elder  WiUiam  E.  Hathaway  1860—1875 

Elder  I.  I.  Leslie  1870—1875 

Elder  J.  R.  Boynton  1870—1875 

Rev.  W.  Smith  1876 

Rev.  John  M.  Curry  1876—1880 
Rev.  Frank  Shattuck 

Rev.  Charles  H.  Sweet  1880—1883 

Rev.  Alfred  R.  Meade  1906—1910 

Rev.  Burt  J.  Glazier  1910— 


The  clerks  since  the  organization  of  the  society ; 

Rev.  J.  R.  Boynton  1872—1875 

Austin  N.  Vaughan  1876—1879 

Daniel  W.  Nash  1880—1909 

Julia  F.  Hammond  1910—1911 

WiUiam  E.  W.  Vaughan  1912— 


Those  who  have  been  chosen  deacons : 

Levi  Ransom  1870 
James   Breach 

Dr.  N.  M.  Ransom  1877 

D.  W.  Nash  1897 

William  E.  W.  Vaughan  1904 


THE  UNION   SOCIETY 

There  appears  to  have  been  no  intent  on  the 
part  of  the  builders  of  the  South  Meeting  house 
to  break  away  from  the  established  church.  Their 
purpose  was  to  erect  a  temple  and  induce  the 
regular  minister  to  hold  a  part  of  the  Sunday 
services  there  as  a  convenience  to  the  residents 
at  this  end  of  the  Precinct  who  were  located  a 
distance  from  the  old  meeting  house.  But  spurned 
by  the  rulers  of  the  church,  and  fought  every  inch 
of  the  way  by  the  conservatives,  the  proprietors  of 
the  new  temple  were  forced  into  a  receptive  mood, 
and  when  the  old  order  began  to  crumble  the  here- 
tics who  had  stepped  out  of  the  ruts  found  a 
forum  in  the  South  Meeting  house.  The  Baptists 
who  were  the  first  to  make  the  break  were  without 
a  meeting  house,  and  they  found  a  welcome  in  this 
building;  later  the  Universalists  utilized  its  ac- 
commodations, and  in  this  way  the  short-sighted 
policy  of  the  old  church  unconsciously  paved  the 
way  for  its  dissolution. 

Thus  it  came  about  that  when  the  descendants 
of  the  proprietors  faced  the  problem  of  replacing 
the  decaying  structure  with  a  modern  church 
building  under  the  guidance  of  William  Savery  in 
1853  sectarianism  was  omitted  from  the  subscrip- 
tion paper.  The  subscribers  met  in  November, 
organized  as  proprietors,  and  voted  to  build  their 

185 


186  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

new  building  on  the  pew  plan.  William  Savery 
was  clerk,  and  Nelson  Barrows  treasurer  of  the 
organization.  The  temple  was  completed  and 
turned  over  to  the  proprietors  in  1855.  An  organ 
and  bell  were  presented  by  William  Savery  and 
Jesse  Murdock,  and  July  28th  of  that  year,  with  an 
elaborate  program,  the  edifice  was  dedicated  ''to 
the  public  worship  of  God." 

The  society  was  non-sectarian,  and  the  dedica- 
tory exercises  were  participated  in  by  Baptists, 
Congregationalists,  Universalists,  Unitarians  and 
Methodists,  and  following  the  custom  the  society 
has  always  given  a  hearing  to  various  denomina- 
tions. 

At  a  subesquent  meeting  of  the  proprietors 
their  affairs  were  vested  in  a  Board  of  Trustees, 
which  became  the  permanent  form  of  government, 
and  at  the  same  meeting  was  adopted  the  name  of 
the  society.  The  Union  Society  of  South  Carver. 

Services  have  usually  been  held  only  during  the 
Summer  months,  with  ministers  supplied  by  a 
pulpit  supply  committee  made  up  from  different 
sects,  and  with  two  exceptions  this  has  always 
been  the  custom  of  the  society.  During  the  first 
year's  series  of  services  denominations  were  rep- 
resented as  follows :  One  Episcopalian,  two  Bap- 
tists, two  Unitarians,  three  Congregationalists, 
four  Universalists  and  five  Methodists. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1861  the  following 
resolution  was  adopted  unanimously : 

That  a  subscription  list,  as  usual,  be  put  in  cir- 
culation to  raise  funds  by  voluntary  contributions 
for  support  of  preaching  in  the  Union  church  the 


o 

O) 

1— 1 

O 

5 

h-l 

1— 1 

m 

P 

rC 

pq 

>> 

w 

o 

<» 

< 

(B 

^ 

O 

Ph 

■^ 

D 

53 

fe 

a> 

O 

H 

OQ 

H 

>i 

rH 

^ 

o 

S 

h:i 

-Q 

W 

9 

<; 

M 

a 

Q 

c3 

C-i     'Ti 


THE  UNION  SOCIETY  187 

ensuing  year ;  but  if  the  present  war-like  position 
of  the  country  continues  the  funds  thus  contri- 
buted shall  be  appropriated  to  the  comfort  and 
necessities  of  our  Carver  citizen-soldiers  now 
abroad,  or  those  that  may  hereafter  go,  for  the 
defence  of  our  country;  or  to  the  support  and 
honorable  maintenance  of  their  families  while  ab- 
sent, as  the  Trustees  of  this  Society  shall  deem 
best  calculated  to  secure  the  greatest  good. 

Accordingly,  the  church  was  closed  during  that 
year  and  the  funds  used  agreeable  to  the  resolve. 
The  same  custom  was  followed  through  the  suc- 
ceeding three  years. 

The  church  was  opened  again  for  public  worship 
in  1^865.  Eev.  E.  W.  Barrows,  who  had  been  sta- 
tioned over  the  Methodist  society,  had  developed 
a  following  among  the  members  of  the  Union 
society,  and  at  the  annual  meeting  in  that  year 
steps  were  taken  to  settle  him  as  the  minister  of 
the  Union  church.  The  free  use  of  the  edifice  was 
proffered  the  friends  of  Mr.  Barrows  and  William 
Savery  appointed  agent  to  confer  in  the  matter. 
As  a  result  Rev.  Mr.  Barrows  occupied  the  pulpit 
as  the  first  settled  minister  of  the  society.  But  his 
ministry  was  of  short  duration,  and  the  following 
year  the  society  resumed  its  former  custom. 

The  church  was  opened  but  six  Sabbaths  this 
year,  three  of  these  services  being  conducted  by 
Rev.  George  L.  Smith.  A  Swedenborgian  in  the- 
ology, Rev.  Mr.  Smith  developed  such  a  strength 
in  the  society  that  he  became  its  second  and  last 
settled  preacher,  ending  his  ministry  in  1873. 


188  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

The  building  was  now  out  of  repair,  and  this 
with  the  outlay  necessary  for  a  new  organ  taxed 
the  finances  of  the  society,  and  the  church  was 
closed  for  the  year  1874.  The  year  following  it 
went  back  to  its  first  custom  of  supplying  the 
pulpit  through  an  undenominational  supply  com- 
mittee— a  custom  that  has  been  continued  without 
a  lapse. 

The  last  decade  of  the  century  revealed  the 
weakness  of  a  church  founded  on  the  pew-plan, 
and  the  annual  meetings  of  the  proprietors  dwin- 
dled to  stereotyped  and  lifeless  meetings.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  changes  of  time  had  almost 
capsized  the  little  craft.  Proprietors  had  died, 
moved  away  or  assigned,  and  even  the  bona  fide 
pew  holders  that  were  left  were  weary  of  time  and 
they  saw  the  necessity  of  placing  their  society  on 
a  more  modern  and  permanent  basis.  As  a  result 
of  this  agitation  tlie  society  was  incorporated  in 
1908  with  sixty-three  charter  members  under  the 
old  name :    The  Union  Society  of  South  Carver. 

Following  is  the  list  of  the  original  proprietors, 
many  of  them  heirs  of  the  proprietors  of  the  South 
Meeting  house.  It  was  their  first  intention  to 
erect  this  building  on  the  site  of  the  old  one : 

Thomas  Wrightington  (1),  Daniel  Shaw  (2), 
Joseph  Atwood  (3),  Thomas  Southworth,  Jr., 
(4),  Jesse  Murdock  (5,  8,  27,  33,  35),  Matthias 
Ellis  (6, 15,  32),  George  P.  Bowers  (7, 14),  Joseph 
Barrows  (9),  Ellis  Griffith  (10,  20),  Stephen  At- 
wood (11),  Marcus  Atwood  (12),  Stephen  Cush- 
man  (13),  Capt.  Samuel  Shaw  (16),  Sampson  Mc- 
Farlin  (17),  Ira  C.  Bent    (18),    Capt.  Henry  C. 


THE  UNION  SOCIETY  189 

Murdock  (19),  Miranda,  Lucius,  George  W.  At- 
wood  (21),  John  Murdock  (22),  Zenas  Tillson 
(23),  Oren  Atwood  (24),  John  Shaw,  2d,  (25), 
Silas  Shaw  (26),  Bowers  and  Jenkins  (28,  29), 
Sahnon  F.  Jenkins  (30),  Polly  Savery  (31),  Han- 
nah Weston  (34),  Andrew  M.  Bumpus  and  John 
Bradley  (36),  Perez  Shaw  (37),  Jacob  Holmes  and 
Eli  Southworth  (38),  Thompson  P.  Thomas  (39), 
William  B.  Gibbs  (40),  William  Savery  (41,  43, 
44),  Samuel  Vaughan  (42).  Transfers  from  orig- 
inal ownership  were  made  by  warranty  deed,  sup- 
posed to  be  recorded  with  Plymouth  County  Reg- 
istry of  Deeds. 

Presidents  of  the  Society 


Jesse  Murdock 

1853- 

-1874 

Capt.  Daniel  Shaw 

1875 

George  P.  Bowers 

1876,, 

78     80,  i 

52—84 

Capt.  H.  C.  Murdock 

1877 

R.  C.  Freeman 

1881 

Peleg  IMcFarlin 

1885- 

-1904 

Alfred  M.  Shaw 

1905- 

-1907 

Thomas  M.  Southworth 

1908 

Treasurers 

Joseph  Barrows 

1853- 

-1865 

Rufus  C.  Freeman 

1867- 

-1868 

Nelson  Barrows 

1869,  ' 

72,  84 

Peleg  McFarlin 

1873- 

-1883 

ElHs  Maxim 

1885- 

-1895 

Josiah  W.  Atwood 

1896- 

-1908 

Secretaries 

William  Savery 

1853- 

-1895 

John  Bent 

1896- 

-1908 

190 


HISTORY    OF     CARVER 


Those  who  served 
proprietors : 

Marcus  Atwood 
Lucius  Atwood 
Josiah  W.  Atwood 
S.  Dexter  Atwood 
Joseph  Barrows 
D.  M.  Bates 
Ira  C.  Bent 
John  Bent 
George  P.  Bowers 
John  S.  Cartee 
Rufus  C.  Freeman 
William  B.  Gibbs 
Andrew  Griffith 
Henry  S.  Griffith 
S.  F.  Jenkins 
A.  R.  Kinney 


as  trustees  in  the  life  of  the 

Thomas  Maxim 
Peleg  McFarlin 
Jesse  Murdock 
Henry  C.  Murdock 
John  Murdock 
William  Savery 
William  E.  Savery 
Daniel  Shaw 
John  F.  Shaw 
Samuel  Shaw 
Alfred  M.  Shaw 
Ichabod  Shurtleff 
Perez  Smith 
Thomas  M.  Southworth 
Augustus  F.  Tillson 
Samuel  Vaughan 


HON.  PELEd  MpFAELIN 


FURNACES   AND   FOUNDRIES 

The  dawn  of  the  18th  century  broke  upon  a  New 
England  busy  in  the  twilight  of  a  new  era,  and 
tbe  folly  of  relying  upon  importations  for  many 
of  the  necessities  which  could  be  made  at  home 
came  to  the  attention  of  the  people.  Under  such 
coDditions  Yankee  ingenuity  was  developed,  and 
a  spirit  of  enterprise  quickened  into  life  the  dor- 
mant resources  of  the  Old  Colony. 

Three  factors  were  essential  to  the  equipmeut 
of  an  iron  manufactory  of  that  age,  and  these 
three  abounded  in  the  South  Precinct  of  Plynip- 
ton.  The  swamps  and  lakes  were  bedded  with 
iron  ore ;  the  hills  were  burdened  with  good  coal- 
ing timber;  and  the  swamps  and  hills  combined 
formed  numerous  water  privileges  without  wliicli 
there  was  no  power  to  operate  a  plant.  If  the 
question  of  transportation  entered  into  the  reck- 
oning, the  proximity  of  the  locality  to  tide  water 
on  either  coast  must  have  been  a  favorable  point. 
Sea  shells  that  abounded  on  the  coast  furnished 
the  lime  necessary  for  separating  the  iron,  and 
these  shells  with  native  charcoal  served  the  pur- 
poses of  the  smelting  furnaces  until  lime  and 
anthracite  became  articles  of  commerce  and  smelt- 
ing furnaces  were  supplanted  by  cupola  furnaces 
about  a  century  later.  As  these  smelting  furnaces 
are  a  thing  of  the  past,  a  brief  reference  to  the 

191 


192  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

conditions  under  which  they  were  operated,  with  a 
description  of  their  mechanical  construction,  de- 
serves a  place  in  history. 

Selecting  a  site  where  a  dam  could  be  con- 
structed the  arch  or  furnace  was  located  so  as  to 
make  a  connection  with  the  water  wheel.  The 
furnace  was  built  of  stone,  lined  with  fire  brick, 
and  leading  up  to  the  top  house  which  was  built 
over  the  arch  was  made  an  inclined  runway  up 
which  the  ore,  shells  and  coal  were  carried  in  a 
wheelbarrow.  The  building  extended  from  the 
tophouse  and  in  cases  of  large  plants  wings  were 
added  all  leading  to  the  furnace. 

Along  the  walls  of  the  wings  bunks  were  con- 
structed in  which  the  workmen  slept,  for  the  blast 
usually  lasted  a  month  and  the  iron  was  trickling 
constantly  from  the  furnace.  When  the  temp* 
was  full  it  must  be  taken  away  and  so  the  work 
was  in  continuous  progress,  moulders  moulding 
and  casting  at  all  hours  of  night  and  day,  for  when 
the  fires  went  out  the  process  must  begin  over 
again. 

The  general  superintendent  of  the  works  as- 
sumed the  title  of  skipper ;  the  man  stationed  over 
the  tophouse  and  whose  duty  was  to  feed  the  fur- 
nace with  coal,  ore  and  shells  was  called  the  top- 
man;  while  his  assistant  who  worked  around  the 
base  performing  all  sorts  of  work  that  did  not 
fall  within  the  prescribed  duties  of  any  other  em- 
ployee took  the  appropriate  name  of  gutterman. 


*Temp  was  the  technical  name  of  the  stone  trough  which  re- 
ceived the  iron  as  it  trickled  from  the  furnace. 


FUENACES    AND     FOUNDRIES  193 

The  fires  were  kindled  in  the  furnace  about  one 
week  in  advance  of  the  opening  of  the  blast. 

A  store  was  a  necessary  adjunct  of  a  furnace 
for  business  was  done  largely  on  credit  and  barter. 
Molasses,  W.  I.  rum,  codfish  and  pork  were  the 
standard  stock  in  trade  and  accounts  were  carried 
from  year  to  year.  Often  the  skipper  took  the 
contract  to  furnish  the  men  and  their  supplies 
in  which  case  the  regular  allowance  of  rum  was  a 
clause  in  the  indenture.  A  review  of  these  '*low- 
ance"  accounts  reveals  a  temperance  lecture  of,  the 
times.  Many  of  the  employees  appear  to  have 
more  than  their  share  of  black  marks  while  some 
have  but  few  if  any  records.  It  is  probable  that 
the  thrifty  turned  their  marks  to  their  financial 
advantage. 

The  power  for  operating  the  plant  was  derived 
from  the  combination  of  a  bellows,  a  water  wheel 
and  a  huge  beam  weighted  with  rocks  and  extend- 
ing out  into  the  road.  The  wheel  carried  the  end 
of  the  beam  down  and  opened  the  wind  chest,  and 
after  being  freed  from  the  wheel  the  weight  on 
the  beam  ejected  the  wind  by  closing  the  bellows. 

Coaling  developed  among  neighboring  farmers 
as  a  business  incidental  to  the  furnaces.  The 
numerous  '' coalpit  bottoms"  seen  about  the  woods 
is  standing  evidence  of  this  industry,  for  a  cen- 
tury has  not  restored  the  life-giving  quality  of 
the  soil.  Brush  making  was  also  an  industry,  but 
the  market  for  the  product  of  the  saw  mills  made 
by  the  demand  for  lumber  in  making  the  flask* 

*Flask  is  the  technical  name  of  the  boxes  in  which  the  moulds 
are  made.  That  part  of  the  mould  that  is  lifted  is  called  the  cope, 
and  the  part  that  remains  on  the  floor  is  called  the  nowel. 


194  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

and  furnace  buildings  was  the  largest  incidental 
industry. 

The  casual  traveller  through  the  quiet  village 
called  Popes  Point  would  be  impressed  by  the 
dark  color  of  the  soil  and  without  a  suggestion 
might  be  justified  in  assuming  that  once  upon  a 
time  a  blast  furnace  spit  out  its  coal  dust  and 
cinders  which  as  refuse  went  to  harden  the  road 
bed,  leaving  literally  "footprints  on  the  sands  of 
time. ' '  And  if  the  traveller  had  a  historical  curi- 
osity, he  might  ask  how  the  place  came  to  receive 
its  name. 

The  name  appears  in  Old  Colony  records  in 
1704,  but  as  such  names  grow  by  usage  sometimes 
years  before  they  get  sufficiently  grounded  to  give 
them  a  place  in  the  public  records,  it  is  probable 
that  the  name  was  used  long  before  the  dawn  of 
the  18th  century. 

As  a  part  of  the  lower  South  Meadows  this 
vicinity  attracted  the  settlers  as  they  branched 
out  from  old  Plymouth,  and  forty  years  after  the 
landing  of  the  Pilgrims,  Thomas  Pope  and  George 
Watson  held  land  grants.  The  property  of  Pope, 
forming  a  point  of  land  at  the  junction  of  "Wat- 
son's Cove  brook  and  the  Weweantic  came  to  be 
known  as  Popes  Point,  a  name  that  in  after  years 
was  applied  to  that  region.  Watson  took  the  land 
further  up  the  brook  in  what  is  now  known  as 
Eocky  Meadow  cove.  Among  Watson's  descend- 
ants was  a  grandson,  Jonathan  Shaw,  who  prob- 
ably came  into  possession  of  the  property  through 
inheritance  and  who  ceded  the  water  privilege 
with  sufficient  of  the  adjacent  land  for  the  first 


FURNACES    AND    FOUNDRIES  195 

iron  manufactory  that  embarked  in  that  business 
in  Plympton. 

The  village  of  Popes  Point  reached  the  prime 
of  its  glory  during  and  shortly  after  the  Eevo- 
lution.  The  Shurtleff  family  had  prospered 
nearly  a  century  on  the  estate  eastward  of  Quit- 
ticus  road,  and  Barnabas  was  one  of  the  promo- 
ters of  the  first  furnace;  Capt.  Joshua  Perkins 
with  his  family  lived  on  the  old  farm  on  the 
easterly  side  of  the  Lakenham  road  while  a  son 
Luke  had  a  blacksmith  shop  on  the  site  later  occu- 
pied by  Bents  mill  and  a  residence  where  stands 
the  shop  of  Eufus  L.  Richards.  A  saw  mill  was 
located  on  the  other  branch  of  the  brook  where  it 
crosses  the  Rocky  Gutter  road  and  later  the  black- 
smith shop  of  Abial  Thomas  stood  on  the  Middle- 
boro  side.  Coal  houses,  ware  houses  and  dwel- 
lings that  have  long  since  gone  to  decay  went  to 
make  up  the  thriving  village. 

The  furnace  building  stood  on  the  east  side  of 
the  road  between  the  Stephen  Atwood  farm  and 
the  John  Bent  homestead.  The  raceway  and 
brook  were  filled  in  by  the  orders  of  the  town  in 
1845.  The  store  stood  on  a  site  northerly  from 
the  Stephen  Atwood  house,  on  the  corner  of 
Pope 's  Point  road  and  the  Rocky  Gutter  road ;  the 
boarding  house  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Carver 
road  a  little  to  the  north.  The  furnace  building 
was  a  structure  that  excited  the  pride  of  the  vil- 
lage people.  The  water  wheel  that  furnished  the 
power  was  a  massive  affair  standing  thirty  feet 
in  the  air.  Long  after  the  works  were  discon- 
tinued the  wheel  stood  as  a  plaything  for  the  vil- 
lage boys  and  girls  of  the  neighborhood. 


196  HISTORY     OF     CARVER 

In  1735  Jonathan  Shaw,  whom  we  have  seen  in- 
herit the  property  from  his  grandfather,  ceded 
the  privilege  and  land  on  Watsons  Cove  brook 
conditionally  as  may  be  seen,  to  Isaac  Lothrop, 
Esq.,  Isaac  Lothrop,  Jr.,  Lazarus  Lebarron,  John 
Cooper  of  Plymouth;  and  George  Barrows, 
Samuel  Lucas,  Elisha  Lucas,  Barnabas  Shurtleff, 
Abel  Crocker,  Isaac  Waterman,  Isaac  Churchill, 
John  Shaw  and  Joseph  Lucas  of  Plympton — ''for 
divers  good  causes  but  principally  and  more  es- 
pecially for  the  encouragement  and  ye  erecting  of 
a  furnace  or  new  iron  works  at  a  place  called 
Popes  Point  in  ye  town  of  Plympton — at  a  place 
on  said  land  where  it  shall  be  most  convenient  to 
locate  a  furnace,  coal  house  or  coal  houses,  pot 
house  or  pot  houses,  dwelling  house  or  dwelling- 
houses,  or  any  other  building  that  may  be  neces- 
sary for  carrying  on  said  business  —  also  right  to 
a  dam  already  made  on  Watsons  Cove  brook  and 
flow  land  from  Sept.  1st  to  March  31st.  —  two 
acres  of  land  for  a  coal  yard  and  mine  yard  —  the 
deed  to  remain  in  force  so  long  as  the  men,  or 
the  major  part  of  them,  keep  up  the  furnace  or 
iron  works." 

Such  was  the  indenture  that  gave  birth  to  the 
industry  that  built  up  the  village  of  Popes  Point. 
As  the  smelting  was  done  with  wood  and  charcoal, 
an  incidental  business  of  making  charcoal  was  es- 
tablished which  has  left  its  marks  in  numerous 
sterile  spots  in  the  surrounding  country,  farmers 
for  miles  around  engaging  in  the  work  as  a  side 
issue.  Ore  was  brought  for  miles  from  Carver 
and  adjacent  towns  and  this  was  no  small  feature 
of  the  industry  of  the  times. 


FURNACES    AND    FOUNDRIES  197 

Hollow  ware  comprised  tlie  bulk  of  the  products 
of  this  plant.  Pots,  kettles,  tea  kettles,*  caul- 
drons, flat  irons,  hake  pans,  and  fire  dogs  or  and- 
irons were  the  staple  articles  of  manufacture. 
The  furnace  was  in  operation  upwards  of  a  cen- 
tury, a  record  equaled  only  by  the  Charlotte.  A 
few  of  the  last  years  of  the  operation  of  the  plant 
was  as  a  cupola  furnace ;  the  last  blast  was  in  1836. 

Among  the  proprietors  after  the  first  firm  had 
dwindled  away  were  Skipper  John  Bent,  Skipper 
Nathaniel  Shaw,  Seth  Morton,  Major  Branch 
Harlow,  Thomas  Weston,  and  last  of  all  Samuel 
Briggs  and  Joshua  Eddy  under  the  firm  name  of 
Briggs  &  Eddy. 

It  is  easy  to  look  back  to  those  farmer-residents 
of  1735  and  note  what  enthusiasm  was  kindled  in 
their  souls  at  the  prospect  of  the  establishment  of 
an  iron  manufactory  in  their  community.  As  the 
monotony  of  agriculture  was  the  rule  of  their  lives, 
importing  their  ware  in  the  main,  little  was  known 
of  the  art  of  making  it,  and  the  curiosity  of  the 
inhabitants  must  have  been  aroused  as  they 
watched  the  progress  of  the  new  industrial  ven- 
ture, and  perhaps  our  curiosity  would  be  aroused 
too  if  we  could  witness  the  way  the  first  iron 
moulders  went  about  their  task. 

The  boys  and  girls  wandering  over  the  region, 
little  dreamed  of  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  ore 
under  their  feet,  for  their  untrained  eyes  saw 
nothing  but  repulsive  dirt  in  the  red  water  that 


*A  favorite  tradition  says  the  first  tea-kettle  made  in  America 
'Was  moulded  in  this  furnace.     This  tradition  is  not  supported. 


198  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

trickled  from  the  springs,  but  older  heads  saw  the 
opportunity,  hence  by  the  time  Popes  Point  vil- 
lage began  to  thrive  as  a  manufacturing  com- 
munity most  of  the  residents  of  the  South  Pre- 
cinct of  Plympton  had  become  workers  of  iron,  or 
vitally  interested  in  some  of  its  incidental 
branches. 

The  operation  of  Popes  Point  furnace  created 
a  demand  for  bog  ore  that  gave  life  to  industrial 
PljTupton  and  the  swamps  and  ponds  were  re- 
garded as  valuable  properties.  A  rich  bed  of  this 
ore  was  found  in  Sampsons  pond  and  tributary 
coves  which  was  being  turned  to  a  source  of  profit 
to  the  abutters  when  the  officials  of  the  town 
raised  the  point  that  the  bog  was  public  property. 
The  matter  found  its  way  into  Town  meeting  in 
1749,  where  the  private  claimants  were  defeated 
and  agents  appointed  to  guard  the  interests  of 
the  public.  After  a  few  years  of  clashing  between 
these  factions  the  courts  decided  in  favor  of  the 
private  claimants  and  the  pond  passed  to  the  con-^ 
trol  of  George  Barrows  and  Bartlett  Murdock 
who  in  1758  signed  an  indenture  whereby  a  line 
was  established  extending  from  a  point  on  the 
northerly  shore  to  a  point  near  the  connection  of 
Sampsons  brook.  Barrows  to  have  the  ore  on  the 
westerly  side  of  the  line,  and  Murdock  the  ore  on 
the  easterly  side,  while  each  was  bound  to  guard 
the  property  of  the  other  against  poachers. 

In  1760  Bartlett  Murdock  began  active  work 
towards  the  construction  of  his  first  furnace  and 
in  1761  seven-eighths  of  the  land  and  business 
was  conveyed  to  the  following  which  comprised 


FURNACES    AND    FOUNDRIES  199 

the  promoters  and  first  partnership  that  operated 
Charlotte*  furnace:  James  Hovey  and  William 
Thomas  of  Plymouth;  James  Murdock,  Nathaniel 
Atwood,  Benjamin  Shurtleff,  Peleg  Barrows, 
John  Bridgham,  Frances  Sturtevant,  Benjamin 
Barrows,  Nathaniel  Atwood,  Jr.  and  Joseph  Bar- 
rows of  PljTupton;  and  Robert  Sturtevant  and 
Benjamin  Curtice  of  Halifax. 

A  few  years  later  Lieut.  Thomas  Drew  began 
to  buy  straggling  shares  of  the  company  and  in 
1784  he  had  come  into  possession  of  23/32  of  the 
business,  which  in  that  year  was  transferred  to 
Joshua  Eddy  of  Middleboro.  After  six  years  of 
control,  Eddy  sold  the  plant  to  a  partnership  of 
local  investors  and  furnacemen.  These  early 
owners  conducted  the  business  through  the  most 
trying  years  of  their  country's  history. 

The  plant  had  not  been  fairly  established  when 
it  was  hit  by  the  ante-revolutionary  times  with 
their  agitations  and  unsettled  business  standards. 
This  period  was  followed  by  seven  years  of  de- 
structive war  to  be  followed  in  turn  by  the  critical 

*Charlotte  furnace  is  supposed  to  have  taken  its  name  from 
Queen  Charlotte,  wife  of  George  II,  who  was  on  the  throne  when 
the  works  were  established.  This  name  also,  later  abbreviated  to 
' '  The  Furnace, ' '  was  applied  to  the  village  surrounding  the  works, 
and  not  until  after  the  Civil  War  did  it  acquire  its  modern  name 
of  South  Carver. 

In  1872  Matthias  Ellis,  Peleg  McFarlin  and  Nathaniel  S.  Cush- 
ing  embarked  in  the  iron  business  in  Kentucky  at  a  place  and 
postoflfice  named  Charlotte  Furnace  in  honor  of  this  furnace.  When 
the  enterprise  was  conceived  iron  was  selling  at  sixty  dollars  a  ton, 
but  when  the  new  firm  placed  its  first  shipment  on  the  market  the 
price  had  dropped  to  sixteen  dollars.  Hence  the  brief  career  of 
the  Southern  adjunct. 


200  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

period  during  which  the  country  was  in  a  state 
bordering  on  anarchy.  Throughout  this  period, 
stretching  from  1760  to  1790,  the  finances  of  the 
country  were  in  such  a  chaotic  state  as  to  render 
stable  business  impossible,  the  currency  varied  in 
purchasing  power  from  the  low  level  in  the  ante- 
war  years  to  the  most  alarming  inflation  in  the 
life  and  decline  of  the  Continental  currency,  and 
the  best  to  be  expected  in  the  line  of  business 
rested  in  barter.  To  this  system  the  early  oper- 
ators of  the  furnace  adjusted  their  business  with 
as  good  degree  of  success  as  could  have  been  ex- 
pected under  such  circumstances. 

The  new  firm  that  assumed  control  of  the  busi- 
ness in  1790  was  composed  of  Benjamin  Wliite, 
Bartlett  Murdock,  Jr.,  Eowland  Leonard  &  Co., 
Nathaniel  Atwood  and  Skipper  John  Bent. 
These  were  all  practical  fumacemen  whose  les- 
sons had  been  learned  in  the  school  of  experience 
in  the  days  that  turned  the  hard  side  to  the  front 
and  under  their  management  the  plant  was 
destined  to  reach  the  highest  point  of  success  in 
its  career  up  to  that  date.  Coupled  with  the  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  affairs  on  the  part  of  the 
management  was  the  improvement  in  the  con- 
dition of  national  finances  and  the  well  established 
confidence  and  stability  under  the  Constitution. 

A  decade  of  prosperity  naturally  ensued.  As 
native  ore  could  not  be  procured  in  abundance  to 
meet  the  demands  of  the  increasing  business,  Jer- 
sey ore  was  imported  through  Wareham  wharfs, 
while  an  increased  demand  came  for  shells,  coal, 
lumber  and  ore  of  neighboring  farmers.    As  a 


(^i 


HON.  JKSSE  MURDOOK 


FURNACES  AND  FOUNDRIES     201 

result  of  tlie  business  for  1793-94,  the  first  really 
successful  year  of  the  firm,  the  owners  had  on 
hand  as  dividends  157  tons,  2  cwt.  3  qr.  and  10 
lbs.  of  ware  valued  at  nine  pounds  per  ton. 

Each  of  the  proprietors  assumed  his  place  in 
the  industry.  Murdock,  White  and  Bent  were 
blacksmiths  and  they  found  useful  employment  for 
their  accomplishments  around  the  plant  making 
flasks,  ironing  flasks,  repairing,  etc.  Leonard  & 
Co.  and  Atwood  furnished  supplies  and  made 
themselves  useful  in  any  way  which  came  within 
their  limits.  Nathaniel  Standish  was  the  most 
prominent  employee,  and  in  addition  to  his  skill  as 
a  moulder  and  maker  of  iron  he  practiced  his 
natural  instinct  for  business  in  boarding  the 
moulders,  furnishing  the  "lowance  rum,"  etc., 
through  which  the  balance  due  him  at  the  end  of 
the  year  compared  with  the  amounts  due  the 
owners.  Bartlett  Murdock  and  John  Bent  of  the 
firm  also  improved  their  spare  time  at  their  trade 
as  moulders. 

The  following  are  known  to  have  shared  in  the 
prosperity  of  the  furnace  during  the  decade  either 
as  employees  or  furnishers  of  supplies : 

Moulders 

David  Bonney  Thomas  Barrows 

Seth  Bonney  Elijah  Crocker 

Joseph  Bonney  John  Samson 

Nathaniel  Standish  E.  Bonney 

Jabez  Loring  Nathaniel  Bonney 

Ichabod  Tillson  Benjamin  Cartee 

Robert  Sturtevant  Union  Keith 


202 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


John  Freelove 
Lieut.  Caleb  Atwood 
Benjamin  Waterman 
T.  Rogers  Waterman 
Jabez  Hall 
Caleb  Benson 
Elisha  Murdoek 
Samuel  Wliite 
Joseph  Ellis 


Experience  Bent 
Ebenezer  Atwood 
Obed  Griffith 
Swanzea  Hart 


Benjamin  Ellis 
Bartlett  Murdoek,  Jr. 
Bartlett  Murdoek 
John  Bent 
Ichabod  Waterman 
Salmon  Washburn 
Nathaniel  Shurtleff 
John  ]\Iurdock 
Stephen  Bennett 

Topmen 

Salathiel  Perry 
Henry  Richmond 
Noah  Wood 
Simeon  Morse 


Guttermen 

Thomas  Shurtleff  (minor)        Nathaniel  Shurtleff 
Thomas  Barrows 

Among  the  employees  of  this  period  who  were 
destined  to  play  an  important  part  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  iron  industry  in  this  region  were 
Benjamin  Ellis  and  Bartlett  Murdoek,  while  John 
Savery,  as  a  ten  year  old  boy,  loafing  around  the 
works  may  be  presumed  to  have  there  received  the 
inspiration  for  his  future  career.  Ellis  and 
Savery  began  their  careers  as  guttermen  and  later 
developed  into  moulders.  From  November,  1794, 
to  February,  1795,  Ellis  earned  as  a  moulder  27 
pounds,  10  shillings  and  4  pence  equal  to  thirty 
dollars  per  month  which  at  that  time  was  con- 
sidered princely  wages.  When  not  engaged  at  his 
trade  he  improved  his  time  housing  coal  or  at  any 
job  that  came  within  his  reach,  and  he  was  con- 


FURNACES    AND    FOUNDRIES  203 

sidered  the  best  all-round  furnaceman  connected 
with  the  works.  In  the  light  of  subsequent  events 
it  is  easy  to  read  the  nature  of  his  dreams  for  in 
1800  he  began  to  buy  shares  in  the  business  and 
by  1808  he"  owned  a  controling  interest.  In  this 
broader  field  he  retained  the  services  of  Bartlett 
Murdock  and  John  Savery  until  each  had  gradu- 
ated from  his  school  to  establish  iron  works  of 
their  own. 

The  marital  connections  of  Ellis  served  to  keep 
the  business  in  his  family.  He  married  a 
daughter  of  Bartlett  Murdock,  Jr.,  and  in  1810, 
while  he  held  13/24  of  the  business  the  balance  was 
owned  as  follows :  Jesse  Murdock  7/24,  Deborah 
Murdock  2/24,  Joseph  Ellis  and  Benjamin  Shurt- 
leff  1/24  each.  The  firm  now  assumed  the  name 
of  Benjamin  Ellis  &  Co.  under  which  it  was  con- 
ducted with  success  for  a  half  century. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  industry,  traders 
among  neighboring  farmers  found  profitable  em- 
plojTuent  peddling  ware.  Moulders  accepted  a 
portion  of  their  wages  in  the  products  of  the  plant 
which  they  peddled  and  traded  between  blasts. 
In  some  instances  ware  passed  as  tender  notably 
in  the  construction  of  the  South  Meeting  house 
by  whose  proprietors  it  was  accepted  from  its 
promoters  on  subscription  both  on  account  of 
construction  and  later  on  account  of  repairs. 

The  furnace  building  stood  on  the  southerly 
side  of  the  dam  on  the  site  on  which  the  last  build- 
ing was  built  in  1874.  The  plant  was  destroyed 
twice  at  least  by  fire,  once  about  1808  and  again  in 
1872.    A  boarding  house  was  conducted  in  con- 


204  HISTORY     OF     CARVER 

nection  with  the  foundry;  also  a  building  for 
housing  the  employees  called  the  Lodging  House. 
This  latter  building  stood  northerly  from  the  fur- 
nace building  on  the  north  side  of  the  dam. 

The  store  in  connection  with  the  plant  which 
stood  near  Furnace  pond  on  the  northerly  side  of 
the  road  was  the  centre  of  activities  for  there  the 
moulders  and  farmers  met  for  business  and  social 
purposes.  The  business  interests  were  not  con- 
iined  to  the  management  and  its  employees  for  it 
included  many  of  the  thrifty  of  this  and  surround- 
ing towns  who  carted  coal  and  ore  to  Charlotte 
and  opened  ledger  accounts  with  the  company. 
Liquors  were  sold  over  the  counter  by  the  glass, 
gill  or  pint  and  charged  on  account.  Farmers 
found  their  provisions  at  the  store  and  received 
credit  for  ore,  coal,  lumber,  hides,  pork,  etc.  The 
more  thrifty  ones  even  deposited  cash  on  account 
and  received  interest  on  unsettled  balances.  Thus 
the  store  of  B.  Ellis  &  Co.  partook  of  the  nature  of 
a  banking  house,  and  in  this  institution  local  capi- 
talists found  an  opportunity  for  investment  while 
the  young  firm  found  capital  with  which  to  con- 
duct its  increasing  trade  before  bank  discounts  be- 
came general  accommodations  of  commercial  life. 

The  second  war  with  Great  Britain  gave  Ellis 
his  opportunity.  Whether  he  shared  the  prevail- 
ing sentiment  which  was  arrayed  so  bitterly 
against  that  conflict  or  not,  he  did  not  permit  his 
political  prejudice  to  interfere  with  his  business 
instincts  and  he  hastened  to  sign  contracts  with 
the  general  government  which  severely  taxed  his 
ability  to  fulfil.     But  by  sub-contracting  and  ren- 


FURNACES    AND    FOUNDRIES  205 

tal  of  other  plants  he  emerged  from  the  deal  with 
a  financial  strength  that  placed  him  in  the  front 
ranks  of  New  England  manufacturers.  The  most 
important  of  the  out-side  plants  pressed  into  ser- 
vice was  the  idle  works  up  the  Cranebrook  which 
B.  Ellis  &  Co.  conducted  through  the  rush  under 
the  superintendency  of  Col.  Bartlett  Murdock. 

After  the  war  was  ended,  and  with  a  surplus  of 
capital,  the  firm  was  in  a  position  to  extend  its 
trade.  It  began  to  own  its  vessels  through  which 
ore  was  landed  at  Wareham,  and  an  extensive 
teaming  business  flourished  between  the  plant  and 
the  wharf.  Vessel  loads  of  ware  were  also  sent 
up  and  down  the  coast  from  Bangor  to  New 
Orleans.  The  Maine  trade  thus  established  con- 
tinued through  the  various  managements  of  the 
plant  to  the  end  of  the  career  of  Ellis  Foundry 
Company. 

Jesse  Murdock  inherited  the  sceptre  from  Ellis 
and  during  the  last  half  of  this  management  he 
was  the  guiding  genius  of  the  business.  In  1860 
the  firm  of  Benj.  Ellis  &  Co.  was  dissolved  and  the 
new  firm  of  Matthias  Ellis  &  Co.  assumed  control 
of  the  business.  This  new  company  was  com- 
posed of  Matthias  Ellis,  Joseph  Ellis  and  Charles 
Threshie,*  and  under  this  management  the  busi- 


*Charles  Threshie  was  a  native  of  Scotland  who  settled  in  New 
Orleans,  where  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  trade  with  Joseph 
Ellis,  who  migrated  to  that  city  from  Carver.  When  the  Civil 
War  broke  out  the  partners  sacrificed  their  business  and  hurried 
North  through  lack  of  sympathy  with  the  Southern  cause.  Mr. 
Threshie  continued  as  a  leading  spirit  in  the  foundry  management 
until  his  death  in  1873. 


206  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

ness  was  continued  until  it  was  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  the  Ellis  Foundry  Company 
in  1872.  The  corporation  stock  was  owned  by 
Gerard  Tobey,  Peleg  McFarlin  and  Edward 
Avery.  Peleg  McFarlin  was  the  treasurer  and 
general  manager  of  the  corporation  until  its  disso- 
lution in  1904. 

The  earliest  products  of  the  plant  were  hollow 
ware  of  a  common  assortment  which  included 
crane  pats,  long  leg  kettles,  spiders  and  andirons. 
Tea  kettles  were  made  from  the  beginning  and  the 
plant  was  always  regarded  as  a  hollow  ware 
centre.  Up  to  1860  tea  kettles  were  made  in  four 
part  flasks  with  a  dry  sand  core  when  twelve  was 
considered  a  day's  work  per  man.  At  this  date 
the  two  part  flask,  green  sand  core,  came  into  use 
and  the  product  of  the  day's  labor  was  doubled. 
The  manufacture  of  aluminum  tea  kettles  and 
other  aluminum  ware  began  in  1885. 

During  the  war  of  1812-14  cannon  balls  and 
other  missiles  of  war  were  turned  out,  and  follow- 
ing the  war  the  furnace  kept  pace  with  material 
changes.  Franklin  fire  place  frames,  Dubois  and 
Hathaway  stoves  were  among  the  principal  pro- 
ducts of  this  period.  In  the  decade  1830  to  1840 
the  furnace  was  changed  to  a  cupola  furnace  and 
charcoal  was  supplanted  by  anthracite. 

With  this  change  came  also  a  change  in  the  pro- 
ducts of  the  plant.  Continental  and  Cape  Cod 
cook  stoves  became  popular  sellers,  followed 
closely  by  airtights,  cabooses,  coral  and  box 
stoves,  and  in  the  last  days  of  the  plant  gas  bur- 
ners and  Arbutus  Grand  ranges. 


FURNACES    AND    FOUNDRIES  207 

The  manufacture  of  farmers  boilers  was  start- 
ed about  1860,  and  these  proved  to  be  the  most 
popular  products  of  the  foundry.  They  were 
shipped  in  large  quantities  to  the  Western  and 
Pacific  States  and  to  European  countries.  Dur- 
ing the  last  half  century  of  the  operation  of  the 
plant  there  was  a  wide  diversity  in  its  products. 
This  included  all  forms  of  hollow  ware,  both  iron 
and  aluminum,  frames,  grates,  sinks,  funnels, 
cauldrons,  stable  fixtures  and  miscellaneous  job- 
bing. 

The  last  crew  that  operated  this  plant,  and  also 
the  last  crew  to  operate  a  foundry  in  Carver  was 
composed  of  the  following:  Donald  McFarlin, 
foreman;  Carl  Z.  Southworth,  melter;  William 
and  Joseph  Hayden,  assistant  melters ;  Nelson  F. 
Manter,  carpenter,  and  the  following  moulders: 
Frederick  Anderson,  Z.  W.  Andrews,  Albert  F. 
Atwood,  Samuel  B.  Briggs,  Lemuel  N.  Crocker,  E. 
Lloyd  Griffith,  Orlando  P.  Griffith,  Orville  K. 
Griffith,  Charles  Kelley,  John  B.  McFarlin,  Ed- 
ward Paro,  John  Piercon,  Ephraim  E.  Stringer, 
Charles  F.  Washburn,  George  H.  Westgate, 
Howard  G.  Westgate,  Rufus  S.  Westgate  and 
John  A.  Winberg. 

Federal  furnace  was  established  in  1793  on  the 
site  of  a  saw  mill.  Long  after  this  plant  had  been 
abandoned  one  of  the  survivors  of  the  last  crew 
that  operated  it  was  roaming  under  the  decaying 
structure  with  a  well  known  character  of  that 
locality  hailed  as  Uncle  Ben  Wrightington. 
Uncle  Ben  was  not  versed  in  letters  to  the  extent 
of  being  able  to  distinguish  one  figure  from  an- 


208  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

other,  but  when  his  companion  asked  him  when 
the  furnace  was  built  he  understood  the  nature  of 
the  question.  ''Come  here,"  he  replied  in  his 
characteristic  style,  and  leading  the  way  to  the 
crumbling  arch  and  brushing  the  dust  from  a  huge 
rock  that  entered  into  its  construction  he  pointed 
to  the  date  chiseled  out  of  the  granite.  For  the 
first  two  decades  of  its  history  this  plant  was 
known  only  as  the  furnace  but  after  it  was 
operated  for  the  manufacture  of  shot  for  the  war 
of  1812-14  it  acquired  the  name  which  comes  down 
to  us. 

It  is  not  probable  that  there  was  any  settlement 
of  importance  in  that  region  at  that  time.  Uncle 
Ben  resided  on  his  old  homestead  to  the  south  on 
the  corner  of  Federal  road  and  Mayflower  road, 
attracted  no  doubt  by  the  mill  that  had  been 
operated  on  the  stream,  but  with  this  exception  the 
country  was  a  wilderness  until  the  furnace  build- 
ing with  its  store,  boarding  house  and  one  or  two 
dwellings,  gave  rise  to  the  thrifty  little  village  in 
the  woods.  For  several  years  beginning  with 
1808  a  school  was  maintained  in  that  vicinity. 

The  original  partnership  which  established  and 
operated  the  furnace  was  made  up  of  veterans  of 
the  Eevolutionary  cause  with  Gen.  Silvanus  Lazell 
as  the  moving  spirit.  The  General  was  a  pioneer 
in  the  development  of  the  iron  trade  and  bemg  im- 
pressed with  the  natural  advantages  of  the  lo- 
cality in  1793  he  purchased  of  Capt.  Joshua  Eddy 
two-thirds  of  the  water  power,  saw  mill  and  other 
buildings  with  several  acres  of  land  and  trans- 
ferred a  one-half  interest  in  his  purchase  to  Gen. 


\ 


EBEN  D.  8  HAW 


FURNACES    AND    FOUNDRIES  209 

Nathaniel  Goodwin,  John  Reed,  Dr.  James 
Thatcher,  Dr.  Nathan  Hayward  and  Friend 
White,  all  of  Plymouth. 

Reed  transferred  his  interests  to  Goodwin  in 
1796;  Lazell  sold  his  claim  in  1817  and  Goodwin 
died  in  1818.  It  is  not  probable  that  this  first 
firm  operated  the  plant  more  than  ten  years.  It 
was  idle  when  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain 
broke  out  when  it  was  rented  for  a  limited  time. 

Benjamin  Ellis  who  had  signed  contracts  with 
the  government  leased  this  idle  plant  and  put  it  in 
motion  under  the  superintendency  of  Col.  Bartlett 
Murdock.  The  war  was  unpopular  and  this 
management  interested  in  the  conflict  in  a  busi- 
ness way  found  it  advisable  to  employ  a  watch- 
man for  protection  against  incendiaries.  And 
this  precaution  was  not  altogether  fruitless,  for 
a  would  be  incendiary  was  detected  by  the  watch- 
man in  the  act  of  applying  the  torch  but  was  pre- 
vented from  accomplishing  his  purpose  by  a  gun 
from  the  monitor.  Imagination  ran  riot  for  a 
time  but  it  was  finally  decided  that  the  culprit  was 
one  well  known  sympathizer  of  the  anti-war  cause. 

The  plant  was  not  destined  to  remain  idle  after 
the  lease  of  Ben.  Ellis  &  Co.  expired.  John  Bent 
was  a  practical  fumaceman  who  had  served  an 
apprenticeship  at  Popes  Point,  Charlotte  and 
possibly  another  furnace  from  which  he  had  been 
advanced  to  the  position  and  style  of  skipper. 
This  was  but  a  degree  below  that  of  proprietor, 
and  being  squeezed  out  of  Charlotte  by  the  rising 
power  of  Ben.  Ellis,  the  skipper  saw  in  the  idle 
works  up  the  Cranebrook  one  more  opportunity 


210  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

of  gratifying  his  ambition  to  take  the  last  degree 
in  tlie  iron  trade.  Hence  in  1817,  in  company  with 
Timothy  Savery  of  Wareham,  he  came  into  posses- 
sion of  the  works  and  started  them  in  operation 
under  the  firm  name  of  Bent  &  Savery.  The 
firm  fell  short  of  the  desired  end  and  in  1828  the 
plant  was  sold  to  a  partnership  composed  of  John 
W.  Griffith,  Seabury  Murdock,  Alvin  Perkins, 
Caleb  Wright,  Stephen  Wright,  John  Bumpus, 
Hervey  Dunham,  Henry  Wrightington  and  Mar- 
stin  Cobb.  The  purchase  was  not  a  profitable  one 
and  the  new  firm  did  not  succeed  in  operating 
their  works. 

It  is  probably  that  the  management  of  Bent  and 
Savery  ended  the  blast  furnace  regime  and  when 
the  firm  of  ?  f  ?  ?  ?  ?  and  Holmes  took  the  business 
for  a  brief  time  in  1830  a  cupola  was  placed  in 
front  of  the  old  arch  which  was  discarded  but  not 
removed.  The  exact  time  this  firm  operated  the 
plant  is  not  evident  but  it  had  remained  idle  a 
year  or  more  when  the  last  firm  started  the  wheel 
in  1837. 

Ellis  who  had  made  his  fortune  in  the  iron  trade 
had  become  interested  in  a  young  protege  whom 
he  had  found  in  PljTHouth  and  saw  in  the  Federal 
furnace  an  opportunity,  and  he  said  to  his  young 
friend  George  P.  Bowers,  ''why  don't  you  and 
Joe  Pratt  hire  the  Federal  furnace  and  go  in  busi- 
ness for  yourselves  ? ' '  Although  a  sanguine  youth 
the  thought  of  getting  so  high  at  one  step  as  to  be 
the  proprietor  of  a  furnace  had  not  bothered  the 
boy 's  mind,  and  as  for  Pratt  it  transpired  that  he 
had  no  ambition  to  stoop  so  low.     Pratt  was  a 


?; 
<] 

w 
a 

o 


FURNACES    AND    FOUNDRIES  211 

school  teacher  with  a  taste  and  ambition  for  litera- 
ture, who  had  conducted  the  little  school  on  Indian 
Brook  about  four  years  and  at  that  time  he  was 
under  contract  for  a  large  school  in  a  neighboring 
town. 

Squire  Ellis  had  full  faith  in  the  opportunity, 
and  young  Bowers  was  a  plausible  talker,  and 
the  possibilities  of  business  advancements  were 
painted  in  such  glowing  colors  before  the  vision 
of  the  school  master,  and  so  persistent,  that  a 
literary  career  was  demolished,  a  teaching  con- 
tract annulled,  one  more  son-in-law  secured  for 
Squire  Ellis,  and  a  new  firm  launched  called 
Bowers  &  Pratt. 

Through  the  interest  of  their  benefactor  the 
works  were  put  in  good  condition  and  when  the 
young  associates  met  on  the  field  with  their  force 
of  employees  everything  appeared  bran  new. 
The  owners  seem  to  have  been  more  interested  in 
keeping  up  appearances  than  in  earning  divi- 
dends, for  the  firm  was  under  contract  to  pay  an 
annual  rental  of  one  hundred  dollars  and  every 
cent  of  it  was  to  be  expended  in  repairs. 

Bowers  &  Pratt  soon  yearned  for  a  larger 
field.  It  seemed  to  them  that  their  chances  for 
advancement  were  penned  in  Plymouth  woods. 
In  confirmation  of  their  judgment  it  must  be  seen 
that  conditions  had  radically  changed  since  the 
Federal  furnace  was  founded.  All  of  their  raw 
materials  must  be  imported  and  all  of  their  pro- 
ducts exported.  Bog  ore,  what  there  was  left,  laid 
useless  in  the  neighboring  swamps,  coaling  timber 
stood  on  the  hills  but  it  had  no  place  in  the  new 


212  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

methods  of  operating  iron  works,  and  a  larger 
centre  with  modern  facilities  for  handling  freight 
and  workmen,  seemed  to  be  indispensable.  In 
such  a  frame  of  mind  the  firm  started  its  wheel  in 
1841,  but  the  breaking  of  their  dam  in  October  of 
that  year  abruptly  ended  their  enterprise  on  the 
Cranebrook.  They  decided  not  to  repair  the 
break,  but  moved  their  business  to  Eoxbury  where 
they  established  the  Highland  Foundry  Co. 

The  furnace  was  originally,  and  for  the  greater 
part  of  its  active  operation,  a  hollow  ware  manu- 
factory. Pots,  kettles,  spiders,  bake  pans,  and- 
irons, etc.,  formed  the  bulk  of  its  output.  Govern- 
ment supplies  were  made  in  1812-14,  and  Bowers 
&  Pratt  commenced  the  manufacture  of  stoves. 

In  the  last  jolly  days*  of  the  old  plant  Bowers 
&  Pratt  lived  there,  unmarried,  and  proprietors 


*The  nature  of  the  iron  trade  gave  rise  to  a  spirit  of  fun  and 
repartee  that  has  enriched  our  traditions,  and  there  is  unmistakable 
evidence  that  the  employees  of  the  furnaces  were  the  best  patrons 
of  the  taverns.  Every  moulder  had  a  nickname  and  when  a  new 
man  or  boy  entered  the  shop  a  christening  was  in  order  and  many 
of  the  old  furnacemen  are  known  only  by  their  sobriquet  to  the 
present  generation.  At  a  time  when  the  employees  of  Charlotte 
who  lived  within  hailing  distance  of  the  works  raised  pigs  as  a 
side  line  a  custom  developed  of  visiting  each  other  after  the  day's 
work  was  done  to  compare  pigs,  and  on  these  social  calls  the  treat 
was  an  iron  rule.  Naturally  this  custom  was  abused  by  some  who 
had  no  interest  in  the  size  of  porkers,  but  who  did  have  an  interest 
in  the  treat.  On  one  occasion  a  moulder  known  as  Capt.  Gurney, 
who  had  no  pig,  thus  accosted  a  fellow  workman  whose  sobriquet 
was  Bug,  after  the  day's  work: 

"Well  Bug,  guess  I'll  come  down  and  see  your  pig  tonight. 
Going  to  be  at  home,  ain't  you?" 

' '  Don 't  make  any  difference  whether  I  'm  at  home  or  not, ' ' 
retorted  Bug,  "you  can  come  just  the  same.  The  pig  will  be 
there. ' ' 


FURNACES    AND    FOUNDRIES  213 

of  the  boarding  house.  Betsey  Atwood  and  Hope 
Tillson  were  cooks ;  Ellis  Shaw,  carpenter ;  Zoath 
Wright  and  Joseph  Bent,  ware  dressers ;  Skipper 
Edmund  Bump,  melter.  Salmon  Atwood  headed 
the  list  of  moulders  making  heavy  andirons,  and 
from  the  nature  of  his  work  doomed  to  take  the 
last  or  cinder  iron  every  day;  John  Bump,  Lewis 
Pratt,  Ephraim  Pratt  (killed  in  a  California 
mine),  Sylvanus  G-riffith  (drowned  in  Boston  har- 
bor), Lothrop  Barrows,  Isaac  L.  Dunham,  George 
Cobb,  James  "Wright,  Harrison  Shaw  and  Chan- 
dler Robbins. 

In  1819,  a  temporary  plant  was  established  at 
Slug  pond  near  Wankinco.  This  was  conducted 
by  Ben.  Ellis  &  Co.  under  the  superintendency 
of  Lewis  Pratt,  only  during  the  Winter  months 
until  1824.  The  probable  object  of  this  plant  was 
to  utilize  the  ore  from  the  Wankinco  swamps,  and 
as  cinder  iron  was  carted  to  the  works  from  Char- 
lotte the  works  may  have  been  a  pig  manufactory. 
It  is  known  that  only  the  coarsest  of  moulding  was 
done  there,  and  during  this  period  Ellis  &  Co. 
supplied  raw  iron  to  plants  in  Wareham  and 
Taunton. 

The  Pratt  &  Ward  furnace  was  built  by  Col. 
Benjamin  Ward  and  Lewis  Pratt  in  1824.  Estab- 
lished on  the  dam  and  water  privilege  now  used  as 
a  reservoir  by  South  Meadow  Cranberry  Co. 
The  firm  dissolved  in  1827. 

The  first  furnace  in  Wenham  was  built  by  Lewis 
Pratt  near  Wenham  brook  in  1827.  The  products 
of  the  plant  at  that  time  were  fireplace  iron  ware, 
wagon  wheel  boxes,  andirons,  stoves,  and  cast- 


214  HISTORY     OF     CARVER 

ings  for  Plymouth  merchants.  Charcoal  furnace 
changed  to  anthracite  in  1834.  Foundry  was  kept 
in  operation  until  it  was  burned  in  1840. 

In  1841  Lewis  Pratt  and  son  (Lewis)  bought  the 
Pratt  &  Ward  buildings,  water  privilege,  etc., 
moved  the  cupola  and  flasks  from  Wenham,  and 
began  the  operation  of  this  foundry  which  they 
continued  until  1852  making  stoves  and  hollow 
ware.  In  that  year  the  firm  dissolved,  and  Lewis 
Pratt,  Jr.,  moved  the  cupola  and  flasks  back  to 
Wenham  and  rebuilt  the  foundry  on  Wenham 
brook,  in  1855,  which  he  conducted  in  company 
with  his  sons  until  it  was  again  burned  ir*  1866. 
The  works  were  immediately  rebuilt  by  Matthias 
Pratt  and  burned  again  in  1869.  It  was  rebuilt 
by  Matthias  and  Joseph  Pratt  and  operated  until 
1887,  when  it  was  abandoned  and  its  proprietors 
established  their  works  at  Campello.  Stove  re- 
pair work  and  funnel  irons  were  the  main  part  of 
the  products  of  this  foundry  during  its  later  years. 

In  1844  a  foundry  was  established  by  Benjamin 
Cobb  and  others  near  the  present  residence  of 
Alton  C.  Chandler.  It  was  in  operation  about 
four  years  when  Cobb  retired  from  the  part- 
nership to  establish  the  firm  of  Cobb  &  Drew  in 
Plymouth.  The  buildings  were  removed  about 
1860. 

In  1841  David  Pratt  established  a  foundry  on 
Wenham  road  near  the  swamp  southerly  from  the 
present  residence  of  Eben  S.  Lucas.  It  was 
operated  by  horse  power  but  a  few  years.  The 
buildings  were  moved  to  Wenham  brook  in  1868 
by  Pratt  brothers  and  burned  the  following  year. 


FURNACES    AND    FOUNDRIES  215 

The  enterprise  started  here  was  the  inception  of 
the  Walker  &  Pratt  foundry  of  Watertown. 

About  1825  for  a  short  term  Joseph  and  Nelson 
Barrows  operated  a  small  plant  between  the  Union 
church  and  the  Barrows  homestead.  A  unique 
feature  of  this  plant  was  its  method  of  obtaining 
the  power  which  consisted  of  the  swinging  of  a 
huge  log.  The  log  was  operated  by  a  muscular 
negro  and  this  form  of  furnishing  power  was  one 
of  the  earliest  impressions  of  Lewis  Pratt  who 
witnessed  the  manoeuvre  while  passing  the  plant 
when  a  very  young  boy. 

For  a  few  years  during  the  decade  beginning 
with  the  year  1800  a  furnace  was  in  operation  on 
Fresh  Meadow  dam  near  the  site  of  the  N.  S. 
Gushing  mill.  Little  is  known  of  the  plant  or  of 
the  nature  of  its  output  except  that  John  Bent, 
Joseph  and  Nelson  Barrows  were  interested  in  the 
business  and  worked  there. 

In  1850  Silas  Bumpus  conducted  a  furnace  with 
horse  power  near  his  residence  in  South  Carver. 
Caboose  stoves,  grates,  funnels,  etc.,  were  made 
for  the  Charlotte  furnace  company.  This  plant 
was  in  operation  but  a  few  years. 


THE     CRANBEREY    INDUSTRY 

The  swamps  which  had  furnished  the  residents 
of  this  region  with  pasturage  and  hay  during  their 
first  century,  with  bog  ore  for  the  operation  of 
their  furnaces  during  the  second  century,  proved 
to  be  ideal  ground  for  the  cultivation  of  cranber- 
ries and  thus  formed  the  basis  of  the  industrial 
life  for  the  century  following  the  decline  of  the 
iron  trade. 

While  the  records  show  that  cranberries  were 
used  as  an  article  of  food  in  earliest  Colonial  days 
the  fruit  did  not  become  a  staple  article  of  com- 
merce until  late  in  the  19th  century  and  even  that 
period  was  well  beyond  its  prime  when  a  methodi- 
cal attempt  at  cultivation  was  made.  Through 
the  earlier  years  the  berries  were  regarded  as 
common  property,  but  after  their  place  in  com- 
merce was  established  marsh  owners  looked  more 
carefully  after  their  property  and  gleaning  gradu- 
ally disappeared.  Flooding  for  winter  protec- 
tion and  the  annual  mowing  of  grass  constituted 
the  only  encouragement  of  the  old  school  of 
growers*  and  in  the  industrial  development  fol- 
lowing the  close  of  the  Civil  war  the  farmers  first 
began  the  cultivation  as  it  is  now  practiced. 

•Benjamin  D.  Finney,  who  built  a  dyke  for  flooding  a  marsh  in 
1856,  is  claimed  to  have  been  the  first  to  encourage  the  growth  of 
cranberries  by  artificial  means. 

217 


218  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

After  marsh  owners  came  into  undisputed  pos- 
session of  their  property,  cranberry  harvesting 
began  to  develop  as  an  industry.  A  popular 
method  of  harvesting  was  ''by  the  halves,"  that  is 
the  laborer  held  one  half  of  the  day's  harvest  for 
his  labor  while  the  owner  took  one-half  as  rental 
of  his  marsh.  Screening  and  packing  were  also 
of  a  primitive  order.  A  windy  day  was  necessary 
for  the  operation  when  a  sheet  was  spread  upon 
the  ground  and  the  screeber,  with  a  measure  of 
berries  held  above  his  head  gradually  shook  them 
out,  the  wind  removing  the  chaff  as  they  fell  upon 
the  sheet.  The  fruit  was  then  packed  in  discarded 
barrels  of  varying  dimensions,  t 

Shipments  were  consigned  to  agents  in  Boston, 
New  York  and  Philadelphia,  and  these  commis- 
sioners acted  as  distributors  until  the  custom  of 
selling  for  cash  came  into  vogue.  The  increasing 
demand  for  the  fruit  that  grew  up  in  the  West 
made  buying  an  attractive  speculation  and  the 
operator  found  a  promising  field  between  pro- 
ducers and  consumers.  Co-operative  selling  did 
not  become  an  influential  factor  until  the  dawn  of 
the  20th  century. 

From  the  hygienic  standpoint  the  experiences  of 
the  harvesters  of  the  earlier  days  of  the  industry 
would  now  be  regarded  as  a  hardship  that  would 
call  for  an  investigating  committee.     The  marshes 


tThe  contents  of  the  barrel  is  now  regulated  by  state  laws,  while 
a  movement  is  on  foot  to  establish  a  national  standard.  The  dis- 
position of  national  legislators  to  make  the  contents  of  the  package 
too  large  has  aroused  the  interest  of  the  growers. 


o 

o 

w 

> 

w 

Qj 

w 

% 

m 

^ 

S 

<1 

'^ 

« 

o 

.^ 

o 

or 

c 

1— 1 

+j 

M 

O 

o; 

^ 
■< 

> 

<Xl 

f-* 

"br 

H 

W 

« 

H 

_^ 

F^ 

?^ 

O 

OJC 

fe:  t^ 


THE    CRANBERRY    INDUSTRY  219 

were  always  damp  and  in  wet  seasons  they  were 
breeding  places  for  rheumatism  and  kindred  com- 
plaints. The  older  laborers  wisely  refrained  from 
a  contact  with  the  water  but  the  boys  took  no  such 
precautions.  Long  files  of  shivering  barefoot 
boys  lined  out  on  the  marsh  awaiting  the  signal 
for  attack  and  when  the  word  was  given  they 
would  drop  into  the  icy  water  with  shouts  of 
laughter  and  boyish  pranks,  and  the  knees  were 
numb  with  cold  before  the  sun  was  high  enough  to 
impart  its  heat. 

The  New  Meadows,  comprising  five  hundred 
acres  of  natural  cranberry  bog,  was  the  most 
famous  of  these  early  marshes.  It  proved  to  be 
valuable  property  as  the  trade  developed  and  em- 
ployees gathered  for  the  annual  harvest  from  Car- 
ver and  surrounding  towns.  Prominent  among 
the  growers  of  the  old  regime  were  Sampson 
McFarlin,  Luther  Atwood,  Benjamin  D.  Finney, 
Joseph  and  Benjamin  W.  Bobbins,  John  Dunham, 
George  Shurtleff,  Eben  and  Earl  Sherman,  P.  W. 
Bump,  H.  A.  Lucas,  Ephraim  Griffith,  Nathan 
Eyder,  Nathaniel  S.  and  Matthew  H.  Gushing  and 
Atwood  Shaw. 

Cultivation  as  it  was  later  practiced  began  in 
the  decade  1870-80.  Among  the  first  to  train  the 
plants  were  Thomas  Huit  McFarlin,*  Chas.  Dex- 
ter McFarlin,   Alfred  M.   Shaw  and  George  P. 


*  Thomas  H.  McFarlin,  whose  residence  was  near  the  New 
Meadows  marsh,  was  a  pioneer  in  the  development  of  the  industry. 
Noticing  a  large  variety  he  transplanted  a  few  of  the  vines  and 
started  cultivation  of  what  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  popular 
varieties,  the  McFarlins.      Mr.  McFarlin  died  in  1880. 


220  HISTORY     OF     CARVER 

Bowers,  the  latter  being  the  first  to  embark  in  the 
business  on  a  large  scale.  Charles  D.  McFarlin* 
expended  upwards  of  one  thousand  dollars  on  one 
acre  constructing  more  on  experimental  than  on 
financial  grounds.  Every  root  was  dug  from  the 
mud,  and  ditches  were  boarded  and  a  spirit  level 
used  to  insure  a  proper  grade. 

In  1878  George  P.  Bowers  who  had  interested 
capitalists  in  the  possibilities  of  the  trade,  began 
active  construction  on  the  East  Head  bogs  which 
have  proved  a  model,  ideal  sand,  mud,  drainage 
and  water,  making  it  one  of  the  most  valuable  bog 
properties  in  town.  Chief  among  those  interested 
in  the  operation  of  the  Bowers  company  was  Abel 
D.  Makepeace  who  a  year  later  began  work  on  the 
large  swamps  around  Wankinco  which  ultimately 
developed  the  largest  single  tract  bog  in  the  State. 
The  success  of  the  East  Head  and  Wankinco  com- 
panies gave  an  impetus  to  the  industry  that  made 
Carver  the  banner  cranberry  producing  section 
and  up  to  the  year  1900  this  one  town  raised  one 
fifth  of  the  total  crop  of  America. 

The  status  of  the  town  is  seen  in  the  following 
statistics : 

Acreage  under  cultivation  in  1890 750 

Acreaofe  under  cultivation  in  1912 2461 


*Charles  D.  McFarlin  migrated  to  California  in  the  gold  excite- 
ment period.  On  his  last  visit  east  in  1874,  he  became  interested 
in  cranberry  culture  and  constructed  the  bog  as  stated  in  the 
above  record.  He  returned  to  the  Pacific  coast  in  1876  and  em- 
barked in  the  business  of  cranberry  culture  near  Coos  Bay  in 
Oregon,  which  he  continued  until  his  death  in  1910. 


THE    CRANBERRY    INDUSTRY  221 

Assessors  valuation  of  cranberry  bogs  in 
1900 $335,510.00 

Assessors  valuation  of  cranberry  bogs  in 

1912 $1,106,600.00 

Total  crops  of  the  town  as  per  assessors  reports: 

1904 66,278  barrels 

1905 25,407 

1906 62,531 

1907 70,383 

1908 55,336 

1909 85,598 

1910 60,640 

1911 59,545 

1912 66,043 

While  the  berries  were  gathered  only  from  the 
natural  marshes  Fall  frosts  constituted  the  princi- 
ple discouragement  of  the  growers.  Mud  and 
water,  the  natural  environment  of  the  vines,  pre- 
cluded the  development  of  the  various  insects  and 
parasites  that  appeared  in  such  proportions  when 
the  vines  -were  removed  from  their  natural  con- 
ditions in  the  process  of  cultivation. 

Marked  changes  in  the  methods  of  harvesting 
and  packing  have  followed  the  development  of  the 
industry.  The  crops  were  gathered  from  the 
natural  marshes  by  hand  assisted  rarely  by  the 
long  handle  rake.  In  the  early  days  of  cultivation 
the  crops  were  handpicked  and  hand  screened 
while  the  chaff  was  blown  out  by  a  fanning  mill. 
In  the  decade  1880-90  the  snap  machine  came  into 
use,  and  in' the  following  decade  it  was  the  main 
means  of  harvestins".    At  this  time  the  manufac- 


222  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

turers  of  fanning  mills  began  to  study  the  theory 
of  bounding  boards  from  which  separators  that 
would  remove  the  bad  berries  were  evolved.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  new  century  scoops  began  to 
displace  the  snap  machines,  while  separators  were 
improved  and  with  grading  attachments  to  remove 
the  small  and  poor  berries,  and  the  cost  of  picking 
and  screening  lessened.  The  practice  of  grading 
the  fruit  on  lines  of  variety,  size  and  color  came 
in  with  the  co-operative  packing  and  selling  com- 
panies.* 

*About  1895  an  attempt  was  made  to  organize  a  co-operative 
company  through  the  Cape  Cod  Cranberry  Sales  Co.,  but  with  little 
success.  The  New  England  Cranberry  Sales  Co.  was  organized 
in  1907. 


ALBERT  T.  SlIURTLEFF 

First    Civil    War   Volunteer    from   Carver.      Lost    an   Ann    at    First    Bull 

Run.     Clerk  in  War  De]tartnient  at  Washington  fifteen 

years  following  the   War. 


MILITARY    HISTORY 

Under  the  charter  of  William  and  Mary  military 
duty  was  compulsory.  This  arose  through  cus- 
toms then  in  vogue  among  European  nations,  and 
through  the  necessity  from  the  prevailing  state  of 
society,  and  every  town  had  its  training  green. 
The  dangers  from  attacks  from  the  Indians  had 
not  disappeared,  while  the  scramble  for  territory 
between  the  French  and  English,  rendered  prepa- 
rations for  defence  a  perpetual  duty. 

This  custom  accounts  for  the  prevalence  of 
military  titles.  Captains,  Lieutenants,  Ensigns 
and  Sergeants  appear  very  common  as  prefixes  in 
the  records  of  the  times,  and  even  followed  the 
holders  to  the  grave  where  they  were  chiseled  on 
the  slate  headstones. 

There  were  two  companies  in  the  town  desig- 
nated as  the  North  Company  and  the  South  Com- 
pany. 

The  Revolution  served  to  renew  this  custom 
and  after  the  constitution  was  adopted,  military 
duty  came  in  as  a  marked  factor  in  civil  govern- 
ment. For  fifty  years  after  the  town  of  Carver 
was  incorporated  the  old  order  was  continued  and 
annually  the  commanding  officer  issued  his  sum- 
mons to  his  subalterns.  Following  was  the  form 
required  by  law  to  be  served  on  all  non-commis- 
sioned officers  and  privates : 

223 


224 
To  ■ 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Sir: 


•  I  warn  you  to  appear  at  the  house  of  James  Ellis, 
Inn  Holder  in  Carver  on  Friday  the  eighth  inst.,  at 
one  o'clock  P.  M.,  equipt  as  the  law  directs  for  military 
duty. 


Those  who  arose  to  the  highest  ranks  were  as 
follows,  with  the  date  of  conunission : 

Colonels 


Bartlett  Murdock 

1823 

Benjamin  Ward 

Majors 

1826 

Nehemiah  Cobb 

1790 

John  Shaw 

1796 

Benjamin  Ellis 

1812 

Stillman  Shaw 

North  Co. 
Captains 

1829 

Nathaniel  Shaw 

1762 

Frances  Shurtleff 

1781 

Nehemiah  Cobb 

178- 

John  Sherman 

1790 

Barnabas  Cobb 

1796 

Abijah  Lucas 

1802 

Joshua  Cole 

1806 

Thomas  Cobb 

1815 

Levi  Vaughan 

1818 

Israel  Dunham 

1822 

Charles  Cobb 

1827 

Benjamin  Ransom 

1829 

Anthony  Sherman 

1833 

OAPT.  WILLIAM  S.  McFARLlN 


MILITARY  HISTORY  225 


Lieutenants 

Nehemiah  Cobb 

1781 

Isaac  S.  Lucas 

1790 

Lemuel  Cole 

1796 

Joshua  Cole 

1802 

Isaiah  Tillson 

1806 

Levi  Vaughan 

1815 

Benjamin  Lucas 

1818 

Israel  Dunham 

1821 

John  Lucas 

1822 

Benjamin  Ransom 

1827 

Asa  Barrows 

1829 

Lewis  Holmes 

1833 

Ensigns 

Frances  Shurtleff 

1762 

Joseph  Shaw 

1781 

Barnabas  Cobb 

1790 

Abijah  Lucas 

1796 

Nathaniel  Vaughan 

1802 

Thomas  Cobb 

1806 

Benjamin  Lucas 

1815 

Israel  Dunham 

1818 

John  Lucas 

1821 

Asa  Barrows 

1827 

Anthony  Sherman 

1829 

Thomas  Cobb 

1833 

South  Co. 

Captains 

Benjamin  Ward 

1787 

Jolin  Shaw 

1793 

Ichabod  Leonard 

1797 

Gideon  Shurtleff 

1800 

Elisha  Murdock 

1804 

Benjamin  Ellis 

1808 

226  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Samuel  Shaw  1812 

Bartlett  Murdoek  1815 

Joseph  Shaw  1818 

Benjamin  Ward  1819 

Lothrop  Barrows  1822 

Stilhnan  Shaw  1827 

Stephen  Griffith  1829 

Lieutenants 

Samuel  Shaw  1809 

Luke  Perkins  1812 

Joseph  Shaw  1815 

Benjamin  Ward  1818 

Ira  Murdoek  1819 

Stillman  Shaw  1824 

Stephen  Griffith  1827 

Daniel  Shaw  1829 

Ensigns 

Benjamin  Ellis  1804 

Samuel  Shaw  1808 

Luke  Perkins  1809 

Bartlett  Murdoek  1812 

Benjamin  Ward  1815 

Ira  Murdoek  1818 

William  Murdoek  1819 

Daniel  Shaw  1828 

Oren  Atwood  1829 

Silas  Bumpus  1832 

The  system  died  a  natural  death  when  the  causes 
that  called  it  into  existence  once  passed,  and  the 
last  of  its  May  trainings  and  musters  were  little 
less  than  farces.  While  the  law  remained  on  the 
statute  books,  through  public  sentiment  it  had  be- 
come obsolete,  and  the  captains  ''warnings"  were 


MILITARY   HISTORY  227 

considered  optional  by  the  recipients.  It  was  at 
one  of  these  last  trainings  that  William  S.  Mc- 
Farlin*  who  was  destined  to  play  a  prominent 
part  in  the  modern  militia,  was  initiated  in  his 
military  career.  The  annual  warning  was  left  at 
the  home  of  Sampson  McFarlin  who  had  lost  in- 
terest in  the  company  of  which  he  was  legally  a 
member,  and  yomig  William,  then  just  entered  his 
'teens,  shouldered  the  musket  and  started  to  obey 
the  summons  as  a  substitute.  When  the  name  of 
Sampson  McFarlin  was  called  during  the  roll  call, 
the  boy  fairly  staggering  under  the  weight  of  his 
gun,  stepped  forward  and  shouted  '4iere."  The 
shout  of  laughter  that  went  up  from  the  assembled 
militiamen,  made  an  impression  on  the  boy's 
memory  that  never  left  it.  Thus  the  old  military 
system  passed. 

A  movement  for  a  company  under  the  modem 
system  was  made  by  Thomas  B.  Griffith  in  1852 
in  consequence  of  which,  Co.  K,  3d  Regiment,  was 
organized,  and  which  voted  to  take  the  name  of 
''Bay  State  Light  Infantry."  The  armory  of  the 
company  was  in  the  South  Meeting  House,  which 
at  that  time  was  remodeled  and  equipped  for  the 
purpose.  The  first  officers  elected  by  the  com- 
pany were  as  follows : 

Capt.  Matthias  Ellis 
Lieut.  Seneca  R.  Thomas 

"      William    S.    McFarhn 

"      Benjamin  Ward 

"      Joseph  W.  Sherman 

*Solomon  F.  McFarlin,  son  of  John,  also  reported  as  a  substitute 
for  his  father. 


228 


HISTORY    OF    CAE\^R 


Non-commissioned  officers : 

Sergeant  Solomon  F.  McFarlin 
John  F.  Shaw 
"         Ansel  Ward 
' '         Philander  W.  Bump 
Corporal  Alvin  C.  Harlow 
Ira  B.  Shaw 
"         Augustus  F.  Tillson 
"         Thomas  W.  Wrightiagton 


Privates 


Robert  W.  Andrews 
Samuel  S.  Atwood 
Joseph  Atwood 
Simeon  H.  Barrows 
Pelliam  W.  Barrows 
Charles  H.  Bennett 
David  M.  Bates 
J.  Henry  Bump 
George  Cobb 
Marcus  E,  Cobb 
Marstin  F.  Cobb 
Erastus  W.  Cobb 
John  S.  Cartee 
Nathaniel  S.  Cushing 
Charles  H.  Cole 
Thomas  C.  Cole 
Charles  H.  Chase 
Joseph  S.  Chandler 
Ebenezer  Dunham 
Elisha  M.  Dunham 
Henry  A.  Dunham 
Charles  W.  Griffith 
Andrew  Griffith 
Rufus  Hathaway 


Ephraim  T.  Harlow 
John  B.  Hatch 
Wilson  McFarlin 
Elisha  Murdock 
John  Murdock 
Abisha  S.  Perry 
Enoch  Pratt 
Jolin  M.  Maxim 
Josiali  Robbins 
John  Shaw,  3d 
Bartlett  Shaw 
Gilbert   Shaw 
Cephas  Shaw,  Jr. 
Oliver  Shaw,  2nd 
Abiel  Shurtleff 
Joseph  F.  Shurtleff 
Perez  T.  Shurtleff 
William  F.  Shurtleff 
Andrew  G.  Shurtleff 
Le%d  Shurtleff,  Jr. 
]\Iarcus  M.  Tillson 
Hiram  0.  Tillson 
Hiram  Tillson 
Alvin  S.  Perkins 


MILITARY   HISTORY  229 

Thompson  P.  Thomas  James  Waterman 

Andrew  S.  Tibbetts  Isaac  C.  Vaughan 

Adoniram  W.  Vail  John  Witham 

Two  years  later,  Capt.  Ellis,  having  been  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  Lieut.-CoL,  Lieut.  Seneca  R. 
Thomas  was  elected  Captain  and  Second  Lieut. 
William  S.  McFarlin  advanced  to  the  rank  of  1st 
Lieut.  In  1858,  Capt.  Thomas  resigned  and  Lieut. 
McFarlin  was  chosen  Captain.  The  new  captain 
was  a  military  enthusiast  and  excellent  drill  mas- 
ter, and  he  brought  his  command  to  such  a  degree 
of  proficiency,  that  it  was  reputed  the  best  drilled 
company  in  the  regiment.  In  1860,  George  F. 
Cobb  had  been  elected  1st  Lieut. ;  Thomas  B.  Grif- 
fith 2nd  Lieut. ;  and  John  Dunham,  3d  Lieut. 

The  third  regiment  being  one  of  those  selected 
from  which  to  make  up  the  State's  quota  of  the 
first  call  of  Pres.  Lincoln,  Capt.  McFarlin  and  a 
few  of  his  command  went  down  as  ''Minute  men 
of  '61."  Thomas  B.  Griffith  started  with  the  de- 
tachment, but  was  ordered  back  as  recruiting 
officer  to  fill  the  depleted  regiment. 

The  Civil  war  ended  the  career  of  the  company 
as  an  organization,  and  it  was  depleted  to  fill  the 
various  calls  for  volunteers.  Li  1868,  a  company 
was  organized  which  elected  Thomas  B.  Griffith  as 
captain,  but  it  held  but  a  brief  sway,  for  Captain 
Griffith  was  promoted  to  major  and  the  members 
of  his  company  who  desired  to  remain  in  the 
militia  were  merged  in  other  companies.  Since 
that  time  young  men  of  the  town  who  have  desired 
a  place  in  the  militia,  have  been  connected  with 
the  Standish  Guards  of  Plymouth. 


CARVER  IN  THE  REBELLION 

United  in  spirit,  but  differing  as  to  methods, 
the  town  entered  enthusiastically  into  the  struggle 
for  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  From  the 
stormy  days  of  '61  to  the  fateful  April  19th  of  '65, 
there  was  no  cessation  of  labors.  In  Bay  State 
hall  and  in  town  hall  beneath,  public  meetings 
were  continually  fanning  the  spirit  of  patriotism 
and  made  it  possible  to  say,  when  the  battles  were 
over,  that  the  town  in  the  woods  had  done  her 
share. 

Many  special  town  meetings  were  called  to  con- 
sider war  problems.  In  May,  1861,  it  was  voted  to 
add  enough  to  the  pay  of  volunteers  in  addition 
to  the  allowance  of  the  State  and  national  govern- 
ments, to  make  it  twenty-six  dollars  per  month. 
In  July,  1862,  the  town  committed  itself  to  the 
policy  of  paying  bounties.  Strong  opposition  to 
this  system  was  encountered  from  those  who 
doubted  its  wisdom.  At  the  same  time,  it  was 
voted  to  constitute  the  first  to  enlist  as  the  recruit- 
ing officer  and  to  give  the  first  five  an  additional 
five  dollars. 

In  December  following,  it  was  voted  to  recall 
all  offers  of  bounties  for  nine  months  men  and  a 
pledge  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  each  enlistment 
necessary  to  fill  the  town's  quota  substituted. 
This  amount  was  raised  in  1864  to  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  dollars  and  made  to  cover  all  calls 

231 


232  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

or  anticipated  calls.  In  December,  1864,  an  offer 
of  fifteen  dollars  for  a  raw  recruit  and  twenty-five 
dollars  for  a  veteran,  was  offered  to  anyone  who 
would  produce  those  volunteers  before  the  fifth 
of  the  ensuing  January. 

Of  the  volunteers  from  this  town,  nine  died  on 
battle  fields  and  twelve  in  hospitals,  making  a  toll 
of  twenty-one  lives  sacrificed  in  the  conflict.  Five 
of  these  viz. :  Bartlett  Shaw,  John  S.  Eobbins,  Wil- 
son McFarlin,  Joseph  F.  Stringer  and  Allen  S. 
Atwood,  lost  their  lives  through  the  second  battle 
of  Bull  Eun. 

CAEVEE    VOLUNTEEES 

Under  the  ante-rebellion.  State  militia  Co.  K, 
3d  Eegiment,  was  known  as  the  Carver  company, 
"William  S.  McFarlin,  captain.  "When  Pres.  Lin- 
coln's first  call  reached  him,  Capt.  McFarlin 
gathered  as  many  of  his  soldiers  as  possible  in  the 
time  given  and  started  for  the  front.  Those  who 
answered  this  summons  and  who  are  now 
designated  as  ' '  The  Minute  Men  of  '61 ' '  were : 

Capt.  William  S.  McFarlin 

1st  Lieut.  John  Dunham 

2d  Sergeant  Hiram  0.  Tillson 

3d  Sergeant  Robert  P.  Morse 

3d  Sergeant    (rank)    Henry    White 
Hiram  B.  Tillson  James  H.  Stringer 

Isaac  B.  Vail  George  E.  Bates 

Josiah  W.  Coggeshall  Joseph  F.  Bent 

John  M,  Cobb  John  D.  Sanborn 

George  H.  Shaw  Jonathan  W.  Shaw 

Linas  A.  Shaw  Joseph  F.  Stringer 


MA  J.  THOMAS  B.  GEIFFITH 


CAKVER   IN   THE   REBELLION  233 

The  company  was  mustered  into  service,  April  23 
and  May  6,  1861,  and  sent  to  Fortress  Monroe  and 
Hampton,  Va.  IMustered  out  of  service  at  Long  Island, 
Boston  Harbor,  July  22,  1861. 

Co.  D.  1st  Reg.  R.  I.  M. 

Albert  T.  Shurtleff 

Enlisted  April  17,  1861.     Mustered  out  of  service 

November  30.     Wounded  at  first  battle  of  Bull  Run 

and  taken  prisoner.     Right  arm  amputated  July  24. 

Confined  in  Libby  prison  and  released  October  7,  1861. 

Co.  B.  1st  Battalion  Maine  Volunteers 
Ezra  F.  Pearson 
Enlisted  at  Augusta,  Me.,  March  25,  1865.    Mustered 
out  of  service  April  5,  1866. 

Co.  D.  44th  Reg.  M.  V.  M. 
William  E.  Savery 
Mustered  into  service  Sept.  12,  1862;  mustered  out 
of  service  at  Readville,  June  18,  1863. 

Co.  B.  3d  Reg.  M.  V.  M. 
Mustered  into  service  Sept.  26,  1862.     Mustered  out 
of  service  at  Lakeville,  June  26,  1863. 
Capt.  Thomas  B.  Griffith 
2d  Sergeant  Charles  W.  Griffith 
Corporal  George  H.  Shaw 
Corporal  Andrew  D.  Merritt 
Corporal  John  M.  Cobb 

Jonathan  W.  Shaw.    Mustered  out  June  2,  1863. 

John  Murdoek,  musician. 

Alonzo  D.  Shaw.  Died  at  Stanly  hospital,  Newbeme, 
N.  C,  April  18,  1863. 

James  H.  Bates,  musician.  Mustered  out  at  Boston, 
1863. 

William  H.  O'Connell.  Discharged  May  9,  1863,  on 
account  of  disability,  and  died  Sept.  30. 


234  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Stephen  T.  Atwood  Joseph  F.  Cobb 

Ebenezer  E.  Atwood  Nathaniel  B.  A.  Bates 

Josiah  W.  Atwood  Joseph  G.  Washburn 

Jesse  M.  Shaw  Nathaniel  Shaw,  Jr. 

Charles  H.  Chase  George  W.  Tillson 

Ansel  B.  Ward  Ellis  D.  Dunliam 

Sidney  0.  Cobb  Henry  A.  Dunham 

John  B.  Chandler  Lorenzo  N.Shaw  (wagoner) 

William  B.  Chandler  Edward  W.  Shaw 

William  Irwin  John  A.  Stringer 

This  company  was  in  engagements  at  Winston,  Golds- 
boro  and  Whitehall,  North  Carolina. 

Co.  C.  18th  Reg.  M.  V.  M. 

Mustered  into  service  between  Nov.  2  and  Dec.   16, 

1861,  for  three  years, 

Capt.  William  S.  McFarlin.  Resigned  on  account  of  dis- 
ability Oct.  19,  1862. 

1st  Sergeant  Bartlett  Shaw.  Killed  at  Bull  Run  Aug. 
30,  1862,  before  receiving  commission  as  1st  Lieut. 

2nd  Sergeant  Linas  A.  Shaw.  Wounded  at  Bull  Run 
Aug.  30,  1862.    Discharged  for  disability  Aug.  1863. 

3d  Sergeant  Henry  White.    Mustered  out  Sept.  2,  1864. 

3d  Sergeant  Pelham  W.  Barrows.  Discharged  for  dis- 
ability at  Harrison's  Landing,  July,  1862. 

4th  Sergeant  Albert  W.  Perkins.  Discharged  for  dis- 
ability, January,  1863. 

Corporal  James  H.  Stringer.  Died  at  Camp  Winfield 
Scott  before  Yorktown,  April  29,  1862. 

Corporal  Eli  Atwood,  Jr.  Died  Dec.  14,  1862,  from 
wounds  received  at  battle  of  Fredericksburg. 

Corporal  Wilson  McFarlin.  Supposed  to  have  been 
killed  at  Bull  Run  Aug.  30,  1862. 

Corporal  Le\i  Shurtleff,  Jr.  Died  at  Governors  Island, 
N.  Y.,  Oct.  7,  1862. 


THE     SOLDIERS     MONUMENT 


CAEVER   IN   THE   REBELLION  235 

Isaac  B.  Vail.    Discharged  for  disability  Jan.  3,  1863. 
Josiah  W.  Coggeshall. 

Joseph  F.  Stringer.    KiUed  at  Bull  Run,  Aug.  29,  1862. 
Marshall  A.  Washburn.    Discharged  for  disability,  Sept. 

1862,  at  Fortress  Monroe,  Va. 

Elbridge  A.  Shaw.    Died  at  Gaines  Mill,  Va.,  June  14, 

1862. 
Peleg  B.  Washburn.    Discharged  from  service  on  account 

of  disability. 
Thomas  S,  Dunham.    Discharged  for  disability  Oct.  10,, 

1863. 
John  B.  McFarlin.     Discharged  for  disability  April  3, 

1863. 
John  M.  Maxim.    Promoted  to  Corporal.    Wounded  at 

Bull   Run   Aug.    30,    1862.      Taken    prisoner   and 

paroled.    Discharged  for  disability  April  8,  1863. 
Daniel  B.  Dunham.    Lost  left  arm  at  Petersburg,  July 

15,  1864.     Discharged  Oct.  20,  1864. 

Micah  G.  Shurtleff.  Promoted  to  Sergeant  July  1, 
1863;  to  Orderly  Sergeant  Sept.  1.  Wounded  at 
Bull  Run  Aug.  30,  1862 ;  and  at  Fredericksburg  Dec. 
13.    Mustered  out  at  Boston  Nov.  25,  1864. 

James  F.  Shurtleff.  In  battles  with  his  brother,  Micah 
G.,  and  mustered  out  with  him  at  Boston  Nov.  25, 
1864. 

Charles  F.  Pratt.  Musician,  Regimental  band.  Re- 
enlisted  for  three  years  Feb.  1864. 

Henry  F.  Shurtleff. 

Isaac  Shaw,  2nd.    Discharged  from  the  service,  April  8, 

1863,  at  Annapolis,  Md. 

Benjamin  W.  Dunham.     Died  at  Convalescent  Camp, 

Alexandria,  Va.,  Oct.  26,  1862. 
Isaiah  F.  Atwood.    Transferred  to  Invalid  Corps  March 

16,  1864.    Discharged  from  service  Sept.  17,  1864. 


236  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Allen  S.  Atwood.  Wounded  at  Bull  Run  Aug.  30,  1862, 
and  died  Sept.  7,  at  Carver  hospital  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C. 

Harvey  Finney.  Wounded  in  battle  May  10,  1864,  and 
died  June  26  at  Campbell  hospital,  Washington, 
D.  C. 

Samuel  B.  Barrows.     Promoted  to   Corporal. 

Thomas  Atwood.  Discharged  for  disability  June  28, 
1862. 

Co.  C.  32nd  Beg.  M.  V.  31. 

Sergeant  Hiram  O.  Tillson.  Mustered  in  Nov,  27,  1861 ; 
promoted  to  Orderly,  Nov.  12,  1862;  to  2nd  Lieut., 
April  21,  1863.  Wounded  at  Shady  Grove  church, 
May  30,  1864,  and  discharged  for  disability  Oct. 
26,  1864. 

3d  Corporal  Lucian  T.  Hammond.  Died  at  Harrison's 
Landing,  Va.,  July  30,  1862. 

Co.  E.  20th  Beg.  31.  V.  31. 

Lucius  E.  Griffith.  Mustered  in  Aug.  8,  1861.  Died  at 
Mt.  Pleasant  hospital,  Washington,  D.  C,  Nov.  6, 
1862. 

Joseph  F.  Bent.  Mustered  in  Sept.  10,  1862.  Wounded 
at  Balls  Bluff  Oct.  21,  1861;  and  at  Charles  City 
Cross  Roads,  Va.,  June  30,  1862;  taken  prisoner  to 
Riclunond  and  paroled  after  thirty  days  and  ex- 
changed.   Discharged  for  disability  Aug.  29,  1863. 

Co.  G.  38th  Beg.  31.  V.  31. 
Mustered  in  Aug.  20,  1862. 

Sergeant  Josiah  E.  Atwood.    Died  at  Brashear  City,  La., 

July  11,  1863. 
William  W.  Pearson.     Musician.     Discharged  Feb.   1, 

1864,  from  disability  resulting  from  accident  on  the 

steamer  Morning  Light. 
George  E.  Bates.    Died  at  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  May  21, 

1863. 


CARVER   IN    THE   REBELLION  237 

George  H.  Pratt.    Wounded  Oct.  19,  1864,  and  died  the 

following  day  at  Winchester,  Va. 
Levi  C.  Vaughan.    Discharged  for  disability  April  16, 

1864. 
Perez   T.   Shurtleff.     Discharged  for  disability,   April 

16,  1864. 
James  McSheary.  Died  at  Fortress  Monroe,  Jan.  13,  1863. 
John  B.  Hatch.    Discharged  for  disability,  May  27, 1863. 
Jesse  F.  Lucas. 
Job  C.  Chandler. 

John  Breach.    Died  at  New  Orleans,  May  11,  1863. 
Benjamin  H.  Savery.     Discharged  for  disability.  May 

14,  1863. 
Levi  Ransom,  Jr. 

Co.  E.  23d  Reg.  M.  V.  M. 

Edward  S.  Carnes.  Mustered  in  Dec.  4,  1861.  Re-enlisted 
Dec.  2,  1863.  Wounded  in  skirmish  near  Cold 
Harbor,  June  9,  1864. 

John  D.  Sanborn. 

Benjamin  F.  Fuller.  Mustered  in  Sept.  28,  1861;  mus- 
tered out  Oct.  13,  1864. 

Co.  G.  45th  Beg.  M.  V.  M. 
Jonathan  W.  Shaw.     Mustered  in  Sept.  27,  1862;  mus- 
tered out  June  2,  1863. 

Co.  E.  32nd  Reg.  M.  V.  M. 
William  H.  Barrows.    Clustered  in  Feb.  20, 1862.    Killed 
at  Gettysburg,  July  2,  1863. 

Co.  E.  18th  Reg.  M.  V.  M. 
Mustered  in  Aug.  23,  1861. 

John  S.  Robbins.    Killed  at  Bull  Run,  Aug.  30,  1862. 
Joseph  S.  Robbins.     Wounded  at  Bull  Run,  Aug.  30, 
1862,  and  discharged  for  disability,  April  9,  1863. 
Austin  Ward.    Discharged  for  disability  Nov.  12,  1862. 


238  HISTORY    OF    CAEVER 

Co.  B.  7th  Beg.  M.  V.  M. 
Frederick  Atwood.    Mustered  in  Feb.  17,  1862,  and  dis- 
charged for  disability  Feb.  6,  1863. 

Co.  E.  29th  Reg.  M.  V.  M. 
Charles  Atwood.    Mustered  in  May  22,  1861. 
William  R.  Middleton.    Mustered  in  May  22,  186L    Dis- 
charged for  disability  Aug.  8,  1862. 

Co.  F.  38th  Beg.  M.  V.  M. 
Henry  T.  Ward. 

Co.  C.  nth  Beg.  M.  V.  M. 
John  Kilroy.    Mustered  in  Aug.  12,  1863 ;  mustered  out 
July  4,  1865. 

Co.  E.  U.  8.  1st  Light  Artillery 
Hosea  B.  Morse.     Mustered  in  Aug.  27,  1861.     In  14 
general     engagements     and     27     Cavalry     fights. 
Wounded  at  Gettysburg.     Mustered  out  at  Fort 
Strong,  Washington,  D.  C,  Aug.  27,  1864. 

Co.  C.  1st  Mass.  Cavalry 
Nathan  Maxim.    Mustered  in  Aug.  19, 1862.    Taken  pris- 
oner at  Aldie,  Va.,  June  17, 1863 ;  paroled  July  23d ; 
exchanged  Sept.  1st.     Mustered  out  with  the  regi- 
ment Oct.  3,  1864. 

12th  Battery 
Robert  B.  Pearson.    Mustered  in  Dec.  11, 1862 ;  promoted 
to  Sergeant. 

Co.  M.  4th  Cavalry 
Ansel  B.  Maxim.    Mustered  in  March  1,  1864. 

Co.  B.  4th  Mass.  Cavalry 
Edson  C.  Blake.    Mustered  in  Dec.  23,  1863. 

Co.  I.  2nd  Heavy  Artillery 
Manoah  Hurd.    Mustered  in  Jan.  1,  1864. 


TIIOMA.S  SOUT 1 1  WO HT 1 1 


CARVER   IN   THE   REBELLION  239 

Co.  G.  4th  Mass.  Cavalry 
Lucian  B.  Corban.     Mustered  in  Feb.  21,  1864. 

Co.  G.  2nd  Mass.  Cavalry 
Andrew  A.  Fuller. 

4th  Cavalry 
Henry  A.  Hunting.    Mustered  in  Sept.  17,  1864. 
George  Shurtleff. 

2nd  Mass.  Heavy  Artillery 
Samuel  Langley.    Mustered  in  Sept.  20,  1864. 
John  Rardon.    Mustered  in  Sept.  20,  1864, 

3d  U.  S.  Artillery 
Edward  Miller.    Mustered  in  Sept.  17,  1864. 

3d  U.  8.  Infantry 
Nelson  Trudo.    Mustered  in  Sept.  21,  1864. 

11th  Mass.  Infantry 
John  Caples.    Mustered  in  Sept.  17,  1864. 

Veterans  Reserve  Corps 
Thomas  McMahon.    Mustered  in  Sept.  17,  1864. 
Samuel  Ham,  Jr.    Mustered  in  Sept.  17,  1864. 
George  F.  Tarbox.    Mustered  in  Sept.  21,  1864. 

2nd  Mass.  Infantry 
Mustered  in  April  28  and  29,  1864. 
Thomas  McCabe  Thomas  Haverty 

William  Wade  John  Kelley 

2nd  Mass.   Cavalry 
Mustered  in  April  28,   1864. 
Thomas  Lalor  John  Ray 

Philip  Anderson  Thomas  Sullivan 


240  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

hi  the  Navy 
On  the  Matthew  Vassar,  Sophronia  and  Eureka. 
Stillman  W.  Ward.    Ordinary  seaman ;  mustered  in  Dec. 
6,  1861 ;  promoted  to  Masters  mate,  Dee.  1862 ;  later 
promoted  to  Signal  officer.    In  engagements  at  Fort 
Jackson,  La.,  and  at  Yicksburg. 

On  the  Matthew  Vassar 
Atwood  R.  Drew.     Ordinary  seaman.    Entered  service 
Dec.  6, 1861.  Discharged  for  disability  Nov.  10, 1862. 

On  the  Racer,  Columbia,  Iron  Age,  and  Montgomery. 
Everett  T.  Manter.  Sailor  entered  service  as  Masters 
mate  Dec.  15,  1861;  promoted  to  Ensign  Dec.  14, 
1862;  in  engagements  on  the  Mississippi  reducing 
Forts  Jackson  and  Phillips  and  at  Vicksburg.  Taken 
prisoner  Jan.  17,  1863,  near  Wilmington,  N.  C.  In 
Libby  prison  five  weeks. 

On  the  Mystic 
Levi  Cobb. 

On  the  King  Fisher 
Charles  H.  Holmes. 

On  the   Saco 
Adam  Nicol,  Jr. 
Samuel  Parker.  Carpenter's  mate. 

On  the  Midnight. 
Edwin  0,  Drew.    Acting  Ensign. 
Samuel  B.  Runnels. 
Philander  J.  Holmes. 
Frances  Y.  Casey. 
Joseph  Y.  Casey. 


WAR  OF  1812-14.    POST  OFFICES.    SMALL 
POX.    CEMETERIES.    POPULATION 

Although  an  inland  town,  Carver  felt  the  in- 
fluences of  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain,  not 
only  in  the  impetus  given  her  industries,  but  in 
the  conflicting  political  sentiments  of  the  people. 
As  a  result  of  the  division  ta  sentiment,  a  special 
town  meeting  was  called  in  1812  as  per  the  follow- 
ing petition  signed  by  Thomas  Hammond  and 
others : 

*' Carver,  Aug.  6,  1812. 

To  the  Selectmen  of  Carver: 

Gentlemen : 

We,  the  Subscribers,  Inhabitants  of  Carver^ 
Pray  you  to  Call  a  Town  Meeting  as  soon  as  May 
be  for  the  purpose  of  choosing  some  person  of 
good  and  Regularity  Character  as  a  Committee  of 
Safety  in  this  time  of  Commotion  and  Political 
Division,  and  to  adopt  any  other  measures  sd.. 
town  shall  then  think  proper  for  the  safety  and 
well  being  of  sd.  town." 

A  world  of  insinuation  can  be  read  in  this  peti- 
tion and  we  can  see  between  the  lines  a  glimpse 
of  the  issues  of  the  day,  but  the  majority  did  not 
share  the  consternation  of  these  Federalists,  and 

241 


242  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

the  committee  was  refused.  On  the  contrary  the 
town,  against  the  prevailing  sentiment  of  New 
England,  supported  the  nationalist  administration 
and  voted  an  appropriation  to  bring  the  pay  of 
the  soldiers  detached  for  actual  service  up  to  four- 
teen dollars  per  month,  provided  the  State  or 
national  government  refused  to  do  it.  This  was 
later  made  to  cover  the  services  of  those  who  were 
sent  to  Duxbury. 

The  furnaces  of  the  town  were  in  operation 
night  and  day,  fulfilling  contracts  for  shot  and 
shell  and  this  was  resented  by  the  ultra  ante-war 
sentiment.  Threats  to  burn  the  buildings  of  these 
plants  were  in  circulation,  and  one  plant  situated 
in  the  woods,  kept  a  night  watch  on  duty  as  a  safe- 
guard against  incendiarism. 

Excitement  reached  its  highest  pitch,  when  the 
British  took  temporary  possession  of  Wareham. 
Eumors  of  an  invasion  spread  and  Capt.  Gideon 
Shurtleff  who,  as  a  boy  had  seen  service  in  the 
Eevolution,  took  his  sword  and  riding  through 
town  on  horseback,  strove  to  arouse  the  patriotism 
of  the  people.  Col.  Bartlett  Murdock  was  an  eye 
witness  of  the  British  manoeuvres  in  the  neighbor- 
ing town  and  on  his  way  home  at  night,  he  stopped 
along  the  road  to  advise  the  farmers  of  their  dan- 
ger, but  as  the  Colonel  was  well  known  as  a  prac- 
tical joker  he  did  not  succeed  in  arousing  the  fears 
of  the  people.  Several  from  the  Carver  militia 
shouldered  their  muskets  and  marched  to  assist  in 
driving  the  enemy  from  the  neighboring  town,  and 
one  was  worked  to  such  a  state  of  excitement,  that 
he  advocated  firing  on  the  ships  as  they  made  out 


POST    OFFICES  243 

of  the  harbor.  When  advised  that  the  British  had 
hostages  for  their  protection  he  retorted:  ''The 
hostages  no  need  to  have  been  taken. ' '  The  march 
of  the  militia  from  Plymouth  np  the  Federal  road 
to  Wareham  excited  the  imaginations  of  the  people 
and  doubtless  created  visions  of  carnage  not 
justified  by  the  circumstances. 

POST    OFFICES 

The  Carver  post  office  was  established  in  the 
first  decade  of  the  19th  century.  Mail  was  de- 
livered from  the  offices  of  Plymouth  and  Middle- 
boro.  John  Shaw  was  the  first  postmaster  and 
his  successors  have  been  James  Ellis,  Eliab  Ward, 
Daniel  Shaw,  E.  Watson  Shaw,  James  A.  Vaughan 
and  Frank  E.  Barrows. 

The  North  Carver  office  was  established  about 
1835,  with  Eev.  Plummer  Chase  as  postmaster. 
He  has  been  succeeded  by  William  Barrows,  Alvin 
C.  Harlow,  Benjamin  Eansom,  Jr.,  Rufus  L.  Brett, 
James  C.  Whitehead  and  Stewart  H.  Pink. 

The  South  Carver  office  was  established  about 
1850,  with  mails  delivered  from  Wareham  by 
teamsters.  The  postmasters  have  been  Amos 
Adams,  Matthias  Ellis,  Augustus  F.  Tillson,  Peleg 
McFarlin  and  Thomas  M,  Southworth. 

In  the  decade  1870-80,  mail  for  residents  of 
Wenham  was  left  at  the  house  of  Albert  Shurtleff, 
but  the  regular  postoffice  at  East  Carver  was  not 
established  until  ten  years  later  with  Ephraim 
Bobbins  as  postmaster.  His  successors  have  been 
Alerton  L.  Shurtleff  and  George  E.  White. 


244  HISTORY     OF     CARVER 

SMALL     POX 

The  appearance  of  small  pox  in  1777,  created 
consternation  in  the  towns  of  Plymi^ton  and  Mid- 
dleboro.  The  infected  region  was  in  what  is  now 
North  Carver  and  East  Middleboro  and  raged  on 
both  sides  of  the  town  line.* 

The  problem  of  confining  the  plague  was  taken 
up  in  a  special  town  meeting,  but  municipal  action 
appears  to  have  been  mainly  in  the  negative.  It 
was  voted  ^'that  Jonathan  Parker's  family  and 
Caleb  Loring  should  not  have  the  small  pox  in 
Jonathan  Parker's  house,"  and  further,  ''that 
they  should  not  be  removed  to  Widow  Ann  Cush- 
man's  nor  to  the  Widow  Repentence  Chandler's 
to  have  the  small  pox. ' '  But  the  malady,  unmind- 
ful of  town  ordinances,  continued  to  rage. 

A  movement  was  made  to  build  a  pest  house  on 
the  Cranebrook,  then  at  a  safe  distance  from  the 
settlements,  but  nothing  came  of  it,  and  in  lieu  of 
it  a  committee  was  appointed  to  take  the  afilicted 
ones  out  of  town.  Failing  in  this  delicate  duty, 
the  Selectmen  were  instructed  to  provide  a  place 
where  the  sick  could  be  cared  for. 


*There  were  eight  deaths  in  Middleboro,  including  Eev.  Sylvester 
Conant  of  the  First  (Putnams)  church,  Zachariah  Eddy,  William 
Soule,  Sarah  Reading,  Hannah  Love,  Widow  Rhoda  Smith,  Joseph 
Smith  and  Bethiah  Smith.  These  were  buried  in  a  field  between 
Mahutchett  and  Rocky  Meadow,  which  has  since  grown  up.  The 
late  Otis  Bent  cared  for  the  lot  with  fidelity,  planting  eight  pines 
around  it.  After  his  death  the  pines  were  cut  by  lumbermen  and 
nothing  remains  to  mark  the  spot  except  an  unmarked  slab  and 
one  foot  stone. 


CEMETERIES  245 

Dr.  Jonah  Whitcomb  appears  as  the  storm 
centre  of  popular  clamor.  As  a  practicing 
physician  he  may  have  desired  to  study  the  disease 
for  the  benefit  of  his  profession,  but  whatever  his 
motive  may  have  been,  he  viewed  the  situation 
calmly  and  whether  justified  or  not  the  town  voted 
to  prosecute  him  for  inoculating  Jonathan 
Parker 's  family.  The  suit  was  dropped,  however, 
and  the  only  rein  on  the  doctor's  activities  was  a 
town  vote  forbidding  him  the  privilege  of  speak- 
ing in  the  town  until  the  disease  should  abate. 
The  disease  in  a  mild  form  appeared  in  East  Car- 
ver in  1873. 

CEMETERIES 

Carver  cemeteries  were  of  the  conventional  or- 
der. The  older  markers  were  of  slate  and  the  in- 
scriptions were  solemn  warnings  to  those  who 
lived  to  read  them.  The  following  quotations 
illustrate  the  system  in  vogue  in  the  18th  and  in 
the  first  half  of  the  19th  century  of  making  the 
dead  speak  to  the  living  through  the  slab  that 
stood  above  their  resting  place : 

**  Reader  stand  still  and  spend  a  tear, 
Think  on  the  dust  that  slumbers  here, 
And  as  you  read  the  state  of  me 
Think  on  the  glass  that  runs  for  thee." 

^'The  dear  delights  we  here  enjoy 
And  fondly  call  our  own 
Are  but  short  favors  borrowed  now 
To  be  returned  anon." 


246  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

"My  time  is  spent, 
My  days  are  passed, 
Eternity  must  count  the  rest. 
My  glass  is  out 
My  race  is  run 
The  holy  will  of  God  is  done." 

"Reader,  the  time's  at  hand 
When  you  and  all 
Into  the  dust 
With  me  must  fall." 

"Hither  my  friends  just  turn  aside 
And  read  and  see  how  young  I  died, 
And  as  you  read  consider  well 
How  soon  you'll  die  there's  none  can  tell." 

"Here  rests  his  head  upon  a  lap  of  earth 
A  youth  to  Fortune  and  to  Fame  unknown, 
Fair  Science  frowned  not  on  his  humble  birth 
And  Melancholy  marked  him  for  her  own." 

"All  you  who  stop  my  tomb  to  see 
As  I  am  now  so  you  must  be. 
Repent,  repent,  while  you  have  time 
For  I  was  taken  in  my  prime." 

Burials  were  made  without  reference  to  any 
plan,  which  is  a  handicap  in  the  efforts  to  bring 
the  plots  under  the  modern  order.  Perhaps  it  is 
best  that  the  resting  places  of  the  dead  should 
stand  as  a  monument  to  the  simple  ways  of  those 
whose  pilgrimage  ended  there,  for  in  the  modern 
lot  where  the  square  plots  are  marked  with  white 
marble  and  polished  granite,  the  most  attractive 


CEMETERIES  247 

spot  is  the  old  corner  dotted  helter  skelter  with 
reclining  slate  stones. 

The  Union  cemetery  is  fortunate  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Jesse  Murdock  and  Fanny  Murdock  en- 
dowments for  general  repairs,  which  with  the 
many  endowments  for  private  lots  insures  the  per- 
petual care  and  improvement  of  the  ground  and 
with  the  many  costly  monuments  this  cemetery 
has  earned  the  name  of:  "The  Mount  Auburn  of 
Plymouth  County." 

Lakenham  cemetery,  the  oldest,  most  unique 
and  from  the  historical  standpoint  the  most  in- 
teresting was  endowed  in  1912  by  Mrs.  Rosa  A. 
Cole.  Up  to  that  year  with  few  endowments  for 
private  lots  the  cemetery  was  neglected,  and  many 
of  the  inscriptions  on  the  older  stones  had  be- 
come indecipherable.  The  Wenham  and  Carver 
cemeteries  have  each  a  few  endowments  for 
private  lots  but  none  for  general  improvements. 

CiisJiing's  Field  Cemetery 
A  small  cemetery  was  located  on  a  knoll  near 
the  N.  S.  Cushing  residence.  Many  of  the  Ben- 
sons  were  buried  on  this  plot,  but  the  ''burial 
ground ' '  was  discontinued  before  the  present  gen- 
eration came  upon  the  scene  and  with  one  excep- 
tion the  markers  had  been  removed  by  boys. 

Lakenham    Cemetery 
The  land  for  Lakenham  cemetery  was  given 
from  the  Shaw  estate.    Burials  were  made  before 
the  incorporation  of  the  South  Precinct  and  the 


248  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

location  of  the  burial  ground  settled  the  location 
of  the  first  meeting  house.  The  oldest  inscription 
is  that  of  a  daughter  of  Benoni  Shaw  (Rebecca?) 
which  reads  as  follows: 

Here  lyes  a  child 

of  Benony  Shaws 

Dyed  April  ye  4th 

in  ye  year  1718 

in  ye  8th  year  of  her  age. 

In  1736  Benoni  Shaw,  George  Barrows  and 
Jonathan  Shaw  were  named  by  the  Precinct  as  a 
committee  ''to  clear  and  subdue  their  burial 
place. ' '  In  1741-42  a  committee  was  chosen  by  the 
Precinct  to  see  that  each  lot  owner  clear  his  own 
lot,  and  more  than  a  century  passed  before  the 
ground  was  cleared  as  we  know  it.  Up  to  1908 
when  the  town  voted  to  elect  cemetery  commis- 
sioners the  plot  was  left  to  the  care  of  individual 
efforts. 

Wenham  Cemetery 
The  land  for  Wenham  cemetery  was  given  by 
the  Ransoms  and  Hammonds.  Burials  were  made 
before  the  Revolution.  There  is  no  organization 
in  connection  with  the  ground,  the  Hammonds  and 
Finneys  caring  for  it  until  the  town  assumed  con- 
trol. 

Carver    Cemetery 
The  land  for  the  Carver  cemetery  was  given  by 
the  Shurtleffs  from  their  large  estate  adjoining. 
In  1885  ''The  Central  Cemetery  Association  of 


CEMETERIES  249 

Carver ' '  was  organized  with  the  following  officers : 
Thomas  Vaughan,  President;  James  A.  Vaughan, 
Secretary;  H.  A.  Lucas,  Treasurer;  and  T.  T. 
Vaughan,  Perez  T.  Shurtleff,  and  Albert  T.  Shurt- 
leff,  Executive  Committee;  Mrs.  P.  J.  Barrows, 
Mrs.  P.  J.  Holmes  and  Mrs.  A.  T.  Shurtleff, 
soliciting  committee. 


Union  Cemetery 
The  land  for  Union  Cemetery  was  given  from 
the  Barrows  estate.  The  oldest  inscriptions  are 
for  the  year  1777  in  memory  of  Nathan  who  died 
Oct.  22nd  and  Bethuel  who  died  Nov.  2nd  of  that 
year,  both  sons  of  Jonathan  and  Lydia  Barrows. 
The  west  addition  was  made  through  a  gift  from 
Maj.  Thomas  B.  Griffith,  and  the  ground  was 
cared  for  during  the  last  half  of  the  last  century 
by  William  Savery  in  an  individual  capacity.  In 
1906  the  cemetery  was  incorporated  as  ''The 
Union  Cemetery  of  South  Carver"  with  the  fol- 
lowing incorporators :  Alfred  M.  Shaw,  S.  Dex- 
ter Atwood,  Henry  S.  Griffith,  Josiah  W.  Atwood, 
N.  G.  Swift,  John  Bent,  Gustavus  Atwood,  Mar- 
cus Atwood,  John  F.  Shaw  and  Mrs.  Eldoretta 
McFarlin. 

In  1908  the  town  voted  to  elect  Cemetery  Com- 
missioners and  since  that  year  the  unincorporated 
cemeteries  have  been  cared  for  by  the  commission- 
ers. The  following  have  served  in  that  capacity : 
Josiah  W.  Atwood,  George  E.  Blair,  George  P. 
Lincoln,  Eugene  E.  Shaw  and  Fred  A.  Ward. 


250  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

The  population  of  Carver  according  to  the  Na- 
tional census  of  1790  was  less  than  one  thousand. 
It  has  varied  but  slightly  as  per  the  following,  up 
to  and  including  the  year  1860  according  to  na- 
tional census,  and  since  1860  the  state  census : 


1790 

847 

1850 

1186 

1800 

863 

1860 

1186 

1810 

858 

1875 

1127 

1820 

839 

1885 

1091 

1830 

970 

1895 

1016 

1810 

995 

1905 

1410 

In  the  figures  for  1895  were  1008  whites  and  8 
blacks.  In  1905  the  proportions  were  changed  to 
1231  whites  and  179  blacks. 


MISCELLANEOUS  INDUSTRIES 

Agriculture  has  been  carried  on  in  a  general 
way  from  the  days  of  the  first  settlers  and  with  no 
great  specialties  until  the  development  of  cran- 
berry culture.  But  beginning  with  the  establish- 
ment of  furnaces  in  1733  manufacturing  in  varied 
lines  has  been  the  main  source  of  the  town's  in- 
dustrial activities. 

The  lumber  trade  ranks  high  in  this  line.  Be- 
ginning with  the  up  and  down  mills  of  old,  mill 
men  have  kept  pace  with  the  times.  The  mills 
of  longest  record  are  Cole's  at  North  Carver, 
Holmes'  at  Quitticus,  Cushing's  at  Fresh  Mead- 
ows, Vaughan's  at  Carver  and  Cushman's  (now 
Shaw  and  Atwood)  at  South  Carver.  Shaw's 
steam  mill  at  Carver  is  a  modern  plant.  While 
box  boards  have  formed  the  principal  output 
of  these  mills,  long  boards,  cedar  boat  boards, 
shingles,  staves  and  heading  have  been  manufac- 
tured at  different  times  at  most  of  the  plants. 
Bent's  mill  at  Popes  Point  and  Barnes'  mill  at 
Swan  Hold  were  busy  plants  in  their  day,  while 
Eddy 's  mill  on  the  site  of  the  Federal  furnace  and 
"White's  mill  on  the  Cranebrook  later  supplanted 
by  the  Shoestring  factory  were  active  centres  in 
the  days  following  the  Revolution.  The  latter 
was  in  operation  up  to  the  middle  of  the  last 
century. 

251 


252  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

While  Holmes,  Gushing  and  Cole  did  consider- 
able cooperage  business  in  the  manufacture  of  nail 
kegs  the  trade  was  not  fully  developed  until  the 
output  of  cranberries  created  a  demand  for  bar- 
rels since  which  time  barrel  making  has  been  an 
important  adjunct  of  the  lumber  business. 

Making  cloth  from  hemp  and  flax  for  home  con- 
sumption was  a  necessity  in  the  early  days  and  ex- 
tended well  into  the  19th  century,  when  many  of 
the  older  houses  held  looms  among  their  keep- 
sakes. But  this  industry  disappeared  under  the 
development  of  modern  mills. 

The  shoe  trade  had  become  quite  a  factor  when 
the  period  of  centralization  set  in.  In  the  decade 
1830-40  the  annual  output  was  about  five  thousand 
pairs  of  boots  and  shoes  and  this  was  increased 
until  by  1860  small  shops  were  scattered  over  the 
town  many  of  the  farmers  taking  it  up  as  a  side 
line  working  in  connection  with  Bridgewater 
plants.  In  the  boom  days  following  the  Civil  war 
Chandler  Brothers  established  a  shoe  manufac- 
tory under  King  Philip's  hall  where  those  who 
held  to  the  craft  found  emplo^vTuent.  The  business 
disappeared  from  town  finally  in  the  decade  1880- 

90. 

Sheep  Raising 

Sheep  raising  was  an  important  factor  in  the 
early  agriculture  of  the  town,  but  this  industry 
had  nearly  disappeared  before  the  end  of  the  19th 
century  when  James  A.  Vaughan  who  held  a  dozen 
was  the  only  sheep  raiser  in  Carver. 

The  practice  of  letting  the  sheep  run  at  large  on 
the  common  lands  was  long  continued  after  such 


MISCELLANEOUS  INDUSTRIES  253 

lands  had  been  divided.  As  this  tract  was  not  cul- 
tivated except  in  spots  it  was  used  in  common  well 
down  to  the  20th  century,  and  private  sheep  marks 
were  recorded  with  the  town  clerk  by  which  the 
separate  owners  could  reclaim  their  own  at  the  end 
of  the  grazing  season.  When  the  custom  was  dis- 
continued there  were  seventy-eight  brands  on  re- 
cord a  few  of  which  I  give  as  specimens. 

Consider  Donham.  A  square  crop  off  each  ear 
and  two  slits  in  the  end  of  each  ear  and  a  hole 
through  the  left  ear. 

Nathaniel  Atwood.  A  square  crop  off  the  right 
ear  and  a  slit  in  the  end  of  the  left  ear. 

James  Savery.  A  swallows  tail  in  the  end  of  the 
right  ear  and  a  hapeney  the  under  side  of  the  left. 

Sheep  were  turned  loose  in  the  woods  after  the 
May  shearing  and  when  the  season  had  advanced 
to  a  point  where  they  could  not  live  in  the  open 
they  must  be  corraled  and  returned  to  the  fold. 
This  was  sport  for  the  boys  who  loved  excitement 
and  a  severe  test  on  their  endurance.  In  the  na- 
ture of  sheep  when  their  domain  is  invaded  the 
first  tendency  is  to  scatter  and  each  one  will  dart 
in  a  different  direction.  It  required  long  runs 
over  the  hills  and  valleys,  and  no  little  patience 
and  perseverance  on  the  part  of  the  boys  to  head 
them  off  but  after  the  rattled  Nannies  had  once 
been  corraled  in  a  herd  they  would  hang  together 
and  no  amount  of  driving  could  induce  them  to 
separate  again.  Thus  after  the  exciting  chase  had 
ended  driving  them  to  the  fold  in  a  compact  mass, 
and  picking  out  the  separate  marks,  was  an  easy 
proposition  for  the  boys. 


254  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Another  custom  which  grew  up  with  sheep  rais- 
ing never  received  the  sanction  of  law.  Hunters 
in  the  woods  for  rabbits,  foxes,  or  deer,  frequently 
shot  and  dressed  a  fat  lamb,  and  mutton  was  no 
luxury  while  sheep  ran  at  large.  The  silly  animals 
were  an  easy  mark  for  dogs  and  great  damage 
was  inflicted  on  the  herds  by  lawless  canines.  One 
farmer  who  was  accused  of  shooting  dogs  that 
worried  his  sheep  lost  a  large  percentage  of  his 
herd  one  season  and  the  field  where  the  massacre 
took  place  is  still  known  as  Mutton  Island. 

In  the  popular  fancy  none  of  the  varied  indus- 
trial springs  of  the  town  holds  a  firmer  place  than 
the ' '  shoestring ' '  factory,  that  thrived  for  a  genera- 
tion. In  1852  William  F.  Jenkins  a  young  man 
from  Utica,  N.  Y.,  associated  with  George  P.  Bow- 
ers and  Inman,  an  inventor,  in  a  firm 

styled  Wm.  F.  Jenkins  &  Co.  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  cotton  goods.  The  works  were  estab- 
lished on  the  Cranebrook  on  the  water  privi- 
lege of  White's  mills  and  through  the  enterprise 
of  Mr.  Bowers.  Mr.  Jenkins  died  in  1854  and  a 
brother  S.  Freedom  Jenkins  became  manager  of 
the  business.  Sometime  later  it  assumed  the  name 
of  the  Jenkins  Manufacturing  Co.  or  the  Jenkins 
Braid  Mill,  but  from  the  nature  of  its  products  its 
name  of  the  Shoestring  Factory  could  not  be 
eradicated  from  the  popular  mind. 

In  the  first  years  of  the  operation  of  the  firm 
1800  spindles  were  in  motion,  50,000  pounds  of  cot- 
ton were  consumed  annually  and  150,000  gross  of 
shoestrings  placed  upon  the  market.  While  shoe- 
strings always  took  the  lead  in  its  manufactures, 


MISCELLANEOUS  INDUSTRIES  255 

its  products  varied  with  the  demands  of  the  times. 
Cord  and  braid  were  made  extensively,  and  during 
the  years  that  hoop  skirts  raged  in  the  world  of 
fashion  the  company  did  a  thriving  business 
covering  the  whalebone  and  steel  that  entered  into 
the  mechanism  of  the  skirts. 

The  larger  portion  of  the  employees  were  girls 
who  came  from  south  eastern  Massachusetts  but 
largely  Nova  Scotia.  The  boarding  house  in  con- 
nection with  the  plant  was  a  mecca  for  the  young 
and  many  of  the  girls  married  and  are  now  promi- 
nent among  the  older  generation  of  the  town.  The 
factory  building  was  burned  in  1880  in  conse- 
quence of  which  the  business  was  moved  to  Brain- 
tree,  and  the  boarding  house  was  remodeled  for 
use  as  a  cranberry  apartment  house. 

In  1853  Thomas  B.  Griffith,  Jesse  Murdock, 
George  W.  Bent  and  Matthias  Ellis  formed  a 
partnership  for  the  manufacture  of  grates,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Bent,  Griffith  &  Co.  The  works 
were  established  on  the  brook  that  runs  from  Fur- 
nace pond,  and  a  salesroom  fitted  in  Boston.  But 
eight  employees  were  engaged  during  the  first 
years  of  the  project  and  about  twenty-five  tons 
of  grates  manufactured  annually. 

In  the  expansion  days  following  the  Civil  war 
the  plant  increased  its  output,  and  Bent  with- 
drawing from  the  firm  its  name  was  changed  to 
Murdock  &  Co.  At  this  time  Maj.  Griffith 
travelled  extensively  over  Europe  gathering 
styles  and  data  from  which  the  firm  took  front 
rank  in  its  line  and  as  a  manufacturer  of  fancy 
household  furnishings  it  had  a  national  reputa- 


256  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

tion.  Brass  moulding  was  added  to  the  firm's 
facilities  and  brass  castings  by  expert  workmen 
from  Sweden  were  finished  in  the  most  artistic 
manner.  In  1877  the  business  was  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  the  Murdock  Parlor  Grate  Co. 
The  buildings  of  the  firm  were  demolished  by  fire 
in  1885  when  the  business  was  moved  to  Middle- 
boro. 


HARRISON  G.  COLE 


CHRONOLOGICAL   EVENTS 

1698.  Eochester  road  laid  out,  Sampsons 
pond  first  mentioned.  Jonathan  Shaw  ordained 
deacon. 

1707.  Plympton,  seventh  town  of  Plymouth 
County,  incorporated.  William  Shurtleff  first 
town  clerk. 

1717.  Committee  of  two  chosen  to  procure  a 
schoolmaster. 

1730.    Moses  Seipit  appears  in  town. 

1734-35.  George  Barrows,  Nathaniel  Atwood 
and  Jabez  Eddy  elected  first  South  Precinct  her- 
ring committee  'Ho  take  care  that  there  be  no 
stoppage  in  South  Meadow  river  to  obstruct  or 
hinder  the  course  of  the  fish  either  in  their  going 
up  or  going  down  sd.  stream. ' ' 

1737.  School  officers  called  trustees. 

1738.  Elisha  Lucas  elected  Collector  because 
incumbent  ''incapable  of  serving  because  of  in- 
disposition of  body  and  mind."  (David  Shurtletf ). 

1740.  Road  laid  out  from  Edward  Washburn's 
and  Silvannus  Dunham's  to  the  Meeting  house. 

1765.  Town  officers  began  to  "take  the  oath 
respecting  the  bills  of  the  neighboring  govern- 
ments. ' ' 

1768.  Laid  out  road  from  Barnabas  Atwood 's 
to  Rochester  road.  School  agents  Seth  Cushing, 
Isaiah    Cushman,   Joseph   Wright,   Dea.    Lucas, 

257 


258  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Capt.  Shaw,  John  Shaw,  Jr.,  and  Joseph  Barrows. 

1773.  Samuel  Lucas  and  Caleb  Cushman 
named  as  a  committee  to  join  with  Wareham  in 
a  petition  to  the  General  Court  for  an  act  to  pre- 
vent the  destruction  of  fish. 

1775.  Dea.  Thomas  Savery  elected  Selectman 
of  Phnnpton. 

1779.  Nathaniel  Harlow  elected  agent  to  take 
care  of  the  Tory  land  and  hire  it  out  to  the  best 
advantage. 

1781.  Laid  out  road  from  Nathaniel  Atwood's 
to  Eochester  road.  Committee  elected  "to  reduce 
paper  money  to  hard  money. ' '  Reported  in  favor 
of  a  ratio  of  sixty  to  one.  Great  difficulty  in  pro- 
viding horses  and  beef  for  the  army. 

1783.  School  agents :  Dist.  7,  Consider  Chase ; 
Dist.  8,  Dea.  Thomas  Savery ;  Dist.  9,  Capt.  Wil- 
liam Atwood ;  Dist.  10,  Lieut.  John  Shaw ;  Dist.  11, 
John  Muxam.  Committee  of  Correspondence  and 
Safety:  Lieut.  John  Shaw,  Isaac  Churchill,  Seth 
Cushing,  Isaiah  Cushman,  Dea.  Thomas  Savery. 
Voted  not  to  receive  any  of  the  *' Refugees  which 
had  fled  to  the  enemy  for  protection"  and  to  hire 
out  their  land  for  the  benefit  of  the  town  treasury. 

1790.  Carver  incorporated. 

1791.  Laid  out  road  from  Lakenham  road  to 
Dea.  Dunham's.  Joseph  Vaughan,  Isaac  Cush- 
man and  Abijah  Lucas,  first  Herring  Committee. 
Jonathan  Tillson  authorized  to  locate  the  bounds 
of  the  training  field.  Laid  out  road  from  Middle- 
boro  line  to  Ebenezer  Blossom's. 

1792.  Laid  out  road  from  John  Atwood's  to 
Rochester  road  via.  Gibbs  pond.    Atwood  rebel- 


CHRONOLOGICAL    EVENTS  259 

lion.  John,  Joseph,  Samuel,  Gannett,  Nathaniel, 
Joshua  and  Lieut.  Caleb  Atwoocl  refused  to  pay 
their  Precinct  taxes  and  22  pounds  were  raised 
for  their  abatement. 

1794.  Committee  chosen  to  survey  the  town 
and  make  a  map. 

1796.  Eoad  changed  from  East  to  West  side  of 
Ephraim  Griffith's. 

1799.  Town  paid  a  fine  of  $9.99  for  neglecting 
to  repair  highways. 

1804.  Eev.  John  Howland  died.  Burial  in 
Lakenham    cemetery.      Headstone     inscription: 

Died,  the  Rev.  John  Howland,  pastor  of  the 
church  in  this  town  being  possessed  of  great 
patience  and  resignation  he  fell  asleep  in  Jesus 
in  full  expectation  of  a  glorious  resurrection. 

Nov.  17,  1804.  Aged  84  years  and  the  59th 
of  his  ministry. 

"Reader,  the  time's  at  hand 
When  you  and  all 
Into  the  dust 
With  me  must  fall." 

1807.  April  10th  "four  persons  were  dipped 
at  the  North  end  of  Plympton  by  Mr.  Ezra  Ken- 
dall a  Baptist  minister  from  Kingston.  Lived 
near  Kingston  line  and  were  lead  into  error  by 
Kingston  Baptists.  These  were  the  first  Baptists 
of  Plympton."    Eecord. 

1809.  Bounty  of  six  cents  on  crow's  heads; 
three  cents  on  crow  blackbirds ;  and  one  cent  each 
on  jaybirds  and  red  winged  blackbirds. 


260  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

1811.  Bounty  increased  to  twenty-five  cents 
on  crows,  eight  cents  on  crow  blackbirds  and  two 
cents  each  on  jaybirds  and  red  winged  blackbirds. 

1812.  Laid  out  road  from  Joshua  Atwood's  to 
Asaph  Atwood's  to  end  at  Clark's  Coal  house. 

1813.  Selectmen  instructed  to  ' '  call  on  Roches- 
ter and  see  if  they  can  settle  respecting  the  affairs 
of  a  black  woman." 

1815.  Voted  to  recommend  that  all  societies  in 
town  unite  and  hire  one  minister. 

1826.  I.  and  J.  C.  Pratt  petitioned  to  be  set  off 
to  the  town  of  Wareham. 

1842-44.  School  Committee  reports  published 
in  Old  Colony  Memorial. 

1843.  Voted  to  disapprove  of  any  one  selling 
ardent  spirits  around  the  meeting  house  on  town 
meeting  days. 

1851.  Barn  built  on  poor  farm. 

1852.  Benjamin  Ellis  store  built  on  the  hill. 
Old  store  removed  from  its  lot  near  the  pond  and 
fitted  as  a  tenement.  First  house  on  Tremont 
street  south  of  store. 

1855.  Libraries  of  fifty-five  volumes  each  pre- 
sented the  schools  in  town  by  William  Savery. 

1855.  Seventy  acres  devoted  to  cranberry  rais- 
ing valued  at  $1,622.50. 

1856.  Tillson  Pratt  and  son  appointed  liquor 
agents  of  the  town  to  sell  for  use  ' '  in  the  arts  and 
for  mechanical,  chemical  and  medicinal  purposes 
and  no  other. ' '  Those  who  served  as  agents  un- 
der the  system  were  Thomas  Hammond,  Charles 
W.  Griffith,  Robert  W.  Andrews  and  Ralph  Cope- 
land. 


CHRONOLOGICAL    EVENTS  261 

1861.  Ladies  of  South  Carver  thanked  by  the 
town  '^for  their  offer  to  make  clothing  for  the 
soldiers  and  otherwise  contributing  to  their  com- 
fort." The  ladies  specially  remembered  Lieut. 
John  Dunham  with  a  revolver. 

1861.  Savery  's  Avenue.  This  unique  driveway 
was  built  and  presented  the  public  by  William 
Savery  in  1861-2.  It  consists  of  parallel  roads  a 
distance  of  one  half  mile,  shaded  on  each  side  and 
with  a  line  of  trees  and  shrubs  between  the  two 
driveways.  In  January,  1861,  Savery  entered  into 
an  agreement  with  Eli  Southworth,  Jesse  Mur- 
dock,  Thomas  Hammond,  Tillson  Atwood  and  Jo- 
seph Barrows,  owners  of  the  land  through  which 
the  avenue  was  to  extend,  whereby  said  owners 
were  to  give  the  land  and  Savery  to  bear  the  ex- 
pense of  building  the  road.  The  owners  bonded 
themselves  to  the  amount  of  one  hundred  dollars 
and  Savery  to  the  amount  of  five  hundred  dollars, 
for  the  faithful  execution  of  the  agreement.  The 
trees  between  the  roads  and  on  the  outside  of  them 
were  to  be  left  standing  ''for  shade  and  ornament 
for  man  and  beast."  Both  roadbeds  were  Mac- 
adamized in  1907,  a  portion  of  the  expense  being 
advanced  by  the  daughters  of  the  builder,  Mrs. 
Mary  P.  S.  Jowitt  and  Miss  H.  D.  Savery. 

1872.  Charlotte  furnace  buildings  burned. 

1873.  Great  Eailroad  fire. 
1877.     Tramp  house  built. 

1881.     E.  D.  Shaw  Sons  facing  mill  established. 
1885.     Federal  Assembly,  K.  of  L.  organized. 
Charter  surrendered  1889. 

1889.    Road  commissioners  elected. 


262  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

1890.  E.  D.  Shaw  &  Sons  foundry  built.  Sold 
to  Plymouth  Foundry  Co.  in  1891. 

1893-98.  E.  Herman  Murdock  Superintendent 
of  Streets. 

1895.     Carver  Public  Library  established. 

1898.  William  Dischane,  Arcade  A.  Patenaude, 
Felix  Pouliot  and  Harry  F.  Swift  volunteer  for 
Spanish- American  war. 

1899.  Road  Commissioners  elected. 

1901.  First  macadam  road  built. 

1902.  Old  Home  Week  observation  instituted 
through  the  Library  trustees. 

1905.  Soldiers  Monument.  The  Carver  Ladies' 
Soldiers  Memorial  Association  was  organized  with 
one  hundred  members  and  the  following  of- 
ficers: President,  Mrs.  P.  Jane  Barrows;  Vice- 
President,  Mrs.  Charlotte  Cole;  Secretary,  Mrs, 
Helen  F.  McKay;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Laura  L.  Fin- 
ney. By  collecting  annual  dues  from  its  members, 
holding  lawn  parties  and  general  contributions, 
with  an  appropriation  from  the  town,  funds  were 
collected  and  the  monument  dedicated  with  ap- 
propriate ceremonies  Decoration  day  of  1910. 

1907.  Capt.  AVilliam  S.  McFarlin  Sons  of  Vet- 
erans Camp  132,  instituted  with  the  following 
charter  members ;  Arthur  C.  Atwood,  Herbert  F. 
Atwood,  John  E.  Atwood,  Frank  E.  Barrows, 
Arthur  W.  Burbank,  Charles  0.  Dunham,  William 
C.  Hatch,  Jesse  A.  Holmes,  Edward  C.  Shaw,  El- 
bridge  A.  Shaw,  Isaac  W.  Shaw,  William  M.  Shaw, 
Carlton  Shurtleff,  Oliver  L.  Shurtleif,  Percy  W. 
Shurtleff,  George  L.  Spaulding,  Horace  D, 
Stringer,  George  P.  Thomas,  Frank  F.  Weston, 
Seneca  T.  Weston. 


CHRONOLOGICAL    EVENTS  263 

1908.  Frederick  Andreson,  Frank  E.  Barrows 
and  Abbott  G.  Finney  elected  Park  Commission- 
ers of  Carver.  This  was  the  starting  point  of  the 
park  system. 

1908.  The  Woman's  Alliance  of  Carver  was 
organized  July  15, 1908,  with  the  following  charter 
members :  Delia  Atwood,  Laura  A.  Austin,  Wil- 
helmina  L.  Cornish,  Sadie  F.  Gibbs,  Mabel  Griffith, 
Mary  P.  S.  Jowitt,  Anne  Richmond  McFarlin,  El- 
doretta  McFarlin,  Helena  McFarlin,  Sarah  F.  Mc 
Farlin,  Veretta  McFarlin,  Anna  R.  Savery,  Ethel 
Savery,  Hattie  D.  Savery,  S.  Louise  Savery,  Ger- 
trude F.  Shaw,  Nancy  A.  Shaw,  Dora  F.  Tillson, 
Reba  W.  Tillson,  Elva  H.  Washburn,  Hattie  D. 
Winberg.  The  following  have  joined  the  Alliance 
since  its  organization:  Eleanor  Barrows,  Eliza- 
beth J.  Barrows,  Catherine  Costello,  Julia  Cos- 
tello,  Caroline  Gibbs,  Hannah  Hawkes,  Delia  G. 
Kenney,  Mary  Lincoln,  Emma  T.  Moore,  Jane  L. 
Moore,  Susan  A.  Murdock,  Ethel  Y.  Roy,  Anna  K. 
Shaw,  Daisy  Vaughan. 

The  East  Head  Game  Preserve 
Li  1908  George  B.  Clark  and  James  J.  Ryan 
•secured  an  option  on  the  Turner  estate  with  a 
view  to  the  establishment  of  a  sanctuary  for  the 
propagation  of  game  birds.  A  company  was  or- 
ganized consisting  of  Clark  and  Ryan,  Charles  W. 
Dimmick,  Thomas  W.  Lawson,  Paul  Butler  and 
others  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  the  project 
and  the  land  came  into  the  possession  of  the  com- 
pany with  Henry  S.  Blake  as  trustee.  A  be- 
ginning was  made  in  the  line  of  plowing  and  sow- 


264  HISTORY    OF    CAEVER 

ing  seeds  to  provide  feed  for  birds,  and  in  1911 
the  premises  were  taken  on  a  twenty  year  lease 
by  the  American  Game  Protective  and  Propaga- 
tion Association  of  New  York  conditional  upon 
the  continued  use  of  the  estate  as  a  game  sanctu- 
ary. Charles  W.  Dimmick  continues  as  managing 
director. 

Active  work  began  in  1912  when  large  jQiocks  of 
ducks  and  pheasants  were  bred,  also  as  experi- 
ments smaller  flocks  of  ruffed  grouse,  quails,  wild 
turkeys,  silver  and  golden  pheasants,  etc.  En- 
closures were  made  with  high  wire  fencing,  some 
of  them  taking  in  the  Bowers  trout  pond  for  the 
convenience  of  water  birds.  The  buildings  were 
remodeled,  a  large  bungalo  built  for  the  use  of  the 
managers,  numerous  small  buildings  for  winter 
protection  of  the  birds,  and  a  general  improve- 
ment in  the  conditions  necessary  for  the  success- 
ful continuation  of  the  work. 


GEORGE  P.  BOWERS 


LANDMARKS   OF    CARVER 

Old  Gate  Road.  Highway  leading  from  the  Ad- 
vent church  to  the  B.  W.  Robbins  farm,  once 
closed  by  a  gate  which  had  to  be  opened  by  travel- 
ers on  that  road. 

Joel  Field.  At  the  corner  of  Rochester  Road 
and  Pine  street.    Once  the  farm  of  Joel  Shurtleff. 

Hemlock  Island.  Once  a  beautiful  island  on 
the  west  side  of  the  cedar  swamp  densely  wooded 
with  hemlock  and  cedars.  Noted  also  for  its  rank 
growth  of  ferns  and  for  its  thrifty  painted  tril- 
liums.  The  natural  beauty  of  the  spot  has  been 
destroyed  by  lumbermen. 

Province  Rock.  A  large  rock  between  East 
Head  and  Federal.  Province  Rock  valley  makes 
down  to  the  South. 

■Bodfish  Bridge.  Spans  the  Cranebrook  near 
the  Z.  A.  Tillson  homestead. 

Shaky  Bottom  Bridge.  Spans  the  brook  lead- 
ing from  the  Smith-Hammond  cranberry  bogs. 

Tiger  Field.  A  fertile  spot  in  East  Head  woods 
under  cultivation. 

Skipper  Edmund  Place.  The  site  of  an  old 
homestead  on  the  westerly  shore  of  Wankinco,  so 
named  from  its  former  habitant  Edmund  Bumpus, 
who  at  one  time  was  skipper  in  the  Federal  fur- 
nace. Mr.  Bumpus  was  specially  noted  as  a  lover 
of  flowers  and  for  his  ability  in  forecasting  the 
weather. 

265 


266  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Clarks  Island.  A  place  on  Tremont  street  near 
the  Wareham  town  line. 

Fox  Island,  Wolf  Island  and  Siiaws  Island. 
Spots  of  upland  in  the  New  Meadows  swamp. 

Goulds  Bottom.  A  fertile  field  skirting  the  ob- 
solete Federal-Wareham  road. 

Tillson  Field.  On  the  easterly  edge  of  the  New 
Meadows  swamp.    Once  the  home  of  the  Tillsons. 

Jacksons  Point.  A  point  of  land  making  into 
New  Meadows  swamp  from  Popes  Point  road.  So 
named  from  its  original  owner,  Abraham  Jackson. 

PoljT^ody  Cove.  A  section  of  meadow  on  the 
Shurtleff  farm  supposed  to  have  received  its  name 
from  the  rare  ferns  that  grow  there.  Mentioned 
in  Plymouth  records  in  1694. 

The  Plains.  A  level  tract  of  land  in  West 
Carver. 

Robinson  Swamp.  The  bed  of  Cranebrook  cran- 
berry bog. 

Egypt.  A  spot  once  thickly  wooded  between 
North  Carver  and  Rockj^  Meadow  in  Middleboro. 

Mt.  Misery.  A  high  hill  between  the  railroad 
and  the  residence  of  Edgar  E.  Gardner.  Said  to 
be  the  highest  elevation  in  Carver. 

Meeting  Road.  Leads  from  Johns  pond  to 
Ocean  house. 

Swan  Hold  (sometimes  Swan  Holt).  Mentioned 
in  Plymouth  records  in  1662.  Origin  of  name  in 
dispute.    Applied  to  the  section  East  of  Wenham. 

Wenham.  The  section  of  the  town  now  known 
as  East  Carver.  The  village  went  by  this  name 
until  after  the  Civil  War.  First  mentioned  in 
Plymouth  records  in  1692.    Supposed  to  have  been 


LANDMARKS    OF    CARVER  267 

named  in  honor  of  the  old  country  home  of  one 
of  the  first  settlers  of  that  region. 

Chris  Springs.  Former  name  of  the  pond  now 
known  as  Bens  pond  south  of  Shoestring  factory 
pond.  So  named  from  Crispus  Shaw  who  resided 
on  his  farm  near  by.  Sometimes  called  Chris 
Shaw  springs.    Triangle  pond. 

King  Philip  Spring.  Near  Carvef  green.  Tra- 
dition says  it  received  its  name  from  Indians  in 
King  Philip  war  who  stopped  to  wash  their  hands 
in  the  place  on  their  return  after  their  attack  on 
Chiltonville.  King  Philip 's  hall  received  its  name 
from  the  spring. 

Herring  Brook.  Former  name  of  stream  that 
runs  from  Wenham  pond  to  the  "Weweantic  river. 

Ocean  House.  Once  a  house  standing  on  Main 
street  south  of  Muddy  pond  bog. 

Lothrops  Forge.    Site  of  the  Centre  Mill. 

Pratt  Place.    Near  Centre  Mill. 

Molly  Holmes  Place.    Near  First  Swamp. 

Barnes  Mill.  Saw  mill  that  stood  on  the  privi- 
lege now  of  the  Swanhold  Bog  Co. 

James  Savery  Place.  The  site  of  the  homestead 
of  Fosdick  road  south  of  Lakenham  cemetery. 

Lakenham.  Name  of  North  Carver  \dllage  un- 
til the  Civil  "War.  So  named  in  the  grant  of  land 
to  John  Jenney  in  1637.    Origin  of  name  unknown. 

Bensons  Forge.  (Later  called  Leach's  Forge.) 
Where  N.  S.  Cushing's  saw  mill  now  stands. 

Casey  Place.  The  remnant  of  the  Indian  lands. 
So  named  from  Augustus  Casey,  a  South  Carolina 
negro  who  married  a  daughter  of  Launa  Seipet 
and  reared  his  family  on  the  old  farm. 


268  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

First  Swamp.  East  of  Carver  Centre  on  the 
Plymouth  road.  Applied  to  the  Ward  farm  and 
adjacent  houses.    Origin  of  name  unknown. 

Bowers  Trout  Pond.  In  1862  George  P.  Bowers 
built  a  dam  across  East  Head  brook  creating  an 
artificial  pond  for  the  purpose  of  breeding  and 
raising  trout.  Since  known  as  the  Bowers  trout 
pond. 

The  Turner  Place.  In  1880  Job  A.  Turner  of 
Scituate  purchased  a  small  tract  of  land  on  the 
east  side  of  Barrett's  pond  and  erected  a  cottage, 
library  building,  etc.  Soon  after  that  date  he 
came  into  possession  of  three  thousand  acres 
around  East  Head  and  began  clearing  a  farm. 
Several  large  fields  were  subdued  and  placed  un- 
der cultivation.  A  larger  house,  with  another 
cottage  and  a  large  barn  were  built  near  the  Bow- 
ers Trout  pond.  Horses,  ponies,  cattle  and  poul- 
try were  raised.  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Turner  in 
1894  the  farm  was  deserted  and  a  few  years  later 
the  Barrett's  pond  cottage  and  the  trout  pond 
house  were  demolished  by  forest  fires  and  the 
property  passed  to  the  Game  Preserve  promoters. 

Cobb  Place.  At  Mahutchett,  now  used  as  a  bog 
house  by  John  "W.  Churchill.  Once  the  Major  Ne- 
hemiah  Cobb  homestead;  later  the  Asa  Barrows 
homestead. 

Sixmile  Brook.  Frequently  mentioned  in  earlier 
records.  Not  definitely  located.  Some  have  con- 
fused it  with  Huntinghouse  brook  but  the  latter 
was  known  by  its  present  name  from  the  earliest 
times. 


LANDMARKS    OF    CARVER  269 

Quitticas.  Village  in  West  Carver  so  named 
from  the  Indian  word  being  surrounded  by 
swamps. 

Benson  Cemetery.  In  Cushing  field  at  Fresh 
Meadows  where  the  first  settlers  were  buried. 
The  only  headstone  remaining  marks  the  resting 
place  of  young  William  Morrison. 

New  Bridge.  Spans  the  Cranebrook  where  it 
crosses  Cranberry  road. 

Snappit.  Corruption  of  Annasnapet  the 
original  name  of  the  village  in  the  north  eastern 
section  of  the  town. 

Kidd's  Island.  In  Wenham  pond,  so  named 
from  a  traditional  incident. 

Pokanet  Field.  Near  the  river  westerly  from 
the  residence  of  E.  E.  Shaw,  so  named  from  an 
Indian  employee  of  the  Shurtleffs. 

Fresh  Meadows.  The  village  in  the  south  west- 
ern section  of  the  town. 

Shurtleff  Park.  Donated  to  the  town  as  a  pub- 
lic park  from  the  Shurtleff  estate  by  Benjamin 
Shurtleff,  M.  D.  in  1908. 

Carver  Green.  In  1736-37  Benoni  and  Jonathan 
Shaw  deeded  a  tract  of  land  to  the  Precinct  to  be 
used  as  a  common.  This  became  the  training 
green  of  the  Precinct  and  later  of  the  town  going 
by  the  name  of  Lakenham  Green.  After  the  civil 
war  it  assumed  its  modern  name  of  Carver  Green. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

HON.  BENJAMIN  ELLIS 

Benjamin  Ellis  was  born  in  Plympton  June  3, 
1775.  He  died  in  Carver  April  18, 1852,  leaving  an 
estate  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Con- 
sidering his  environments,  his  lack  of  early  train- 
ing and  education  and  the  times  in  which  he  lived, 
this  marks  him  as  a  Captain  of  Industry. 

There  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  his  parents 
were  above  the  ordinary  people  in  the  business 
world,  when  at  the  age  of  eighteen  their  son 
learned  the  trade  of  a  moulder  at  Charlotte  fur- 
nace. His  rise  was  so  rapid  that  in  fifteen  years 
he  owned  a  controlling  interest  in  the  works  and 
was  recognized  as  a  Baron  in  the  trade.  He  had 
mastered  all  sides  of  the  craft  and  after  he  be- 
came a  Proprietor,  he  was  in  a  position  to  give 
assistance  to  any  of  his  employees  whenever  they 
were  bothered  with  their  parts. 

His  recognized  ability  made  him  a  valuable  man 
in  the  political  world  and  he  held  numerous  posi- 
tions of  trust  and  responsibility.  Thrifty 
farmers  who  had  spare  capital,  handed  it  over  to 
Squire  Ellis  for  investment  with  no  further  con- 
cern of  the  consequences. 

He  was  the  leader  in  Carver  town  meetings  for 
nearly  half  a  century,  holding  the  position  of 

271 


272  HISTORY     OF    CARVER 

Moderator  at  no  less  than  fifty-three  of  these 
legislative  gatherings.  He  represented  his  town 
in  the  General  Court  at  eight  different  sessions, 
was  a  representative  to  the  Constitutional  con- 
vention of  1820;  and  a  State  Senator  at  the  ses- 
sions of  1825  and  1832,  in  which  body  he  was 
known  as  the  Cast  Iron  Senator. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812-14,  and  with 
plenty  of  capital,  Mr.  Ellis  became  a  ship  owner 
and  extended  the  trade  of  his  furnace  through 
these  vessels  which  he  sent  up  and  down  the  coast. 
Lewis  Pratt,  one  of  the  trusted  Lieutenants  of 
Ellis,  was  often  an  agent  accompanying  the  vessel 
to  trade  the  cargo  of  iron  products  for  butter, 
corn,  cheese,  pork,  molasses,  rum,  etc. 

Personally  Mr.  Ellis  was  not  a  magnetic  man, 
and  it  was  only  through  his  recognized  ability  that 
he  captured  the  confidence  of  his  neighbors.  He 
was  gruff  in  his  intercourse  with  men  and  natural- 
ly unpopular.  Comparing  him  with  his  compeer 
Col.  Murdock,  one  who  knew  them  both  said, 
''They  were  both  men  of  great  capacity  for  ac- 
cumulating wealth,  but  one  could  hold  on  to  it 
while  the  other  could  not."  The  one  that  could 
was  Benjamin  Ellis. 

He  was  twice  married.  First  to  Deborah  Mur- 
dock by  whom  he  had  Hannah,  (married  Daniel 
Weston),  Deborah,  (married  Dr.  Samuel  Shaw), 
Charles  Clinton,  Lucy  B.  (married  Samuel  Tis- 
dale),  Benjamin  S.  and  Harriet  N.  (married 
Jesse  Murdock).  Second  to  Mary  Savery,  daugh- 
ter of  Peleg;  by  whom  he  had  Louisa  J.  (married 
Joseph  Pratt)  and  Matthias. 


HORATIO  A.  LUCAS 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES  273 

WILLIAM  SAVERY 

The  subject  of  this  paragraph,  oldest  child  of 
John  and  Polly  Savery,  was  born  in  Carver,  Oct. 
26,  1815,  He  married  Mary  Page  Van  Schaack 
of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  with  the  exception  of  twenty 
years  in  New  Jersey  and  New  York  their  long 
lives  were  spent  in  Carver  where  in  1850  Leyden 
Cottage  was  bnilt  on  the  northerly  shore  of  Samp- 
sons pond. 

Mr.  Savery  began  his  business  career  at  an 
early  age  being  associated  with  his  father  in  the 
iron  trade  in  Jersey  City  and  New  York.  His 
life  was  a  busy  one,  and  in  addition  to  his  foundry 
business  he  was  at  one  time  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  being  one  of  the  first  to  utilize  a  portable 
mill. 

He  also  took  an  interest  in  public  affairs  and 
held  numerous  positions  of  trust.  As  an  illustra- 
tion of  his  spirit  he  practiced  medicine  in  his 
earlier  years  enjoying  quite  an  extensive  practice 
but  always  without  compensation.  He  took  a  deep 
interest  in  the  schools  and  highways  of  his  native 
town  adding  materially  to  the  town's  appropria- 
tions for  several  years.  One  of  Mr.  Savery 's 
most  unique  and  lasting  monuments  is  Savory's 
Avenue  which  he  built  and  presented  the  town  in 
1860. 

MILES  PRATT 

Son  of  David  and  Sarah  was  born  in  Carver, 
Sept.  17,  1825.  His  early  days  were  spent  on  his 
father's  farm  and  when  the  foundry  was  built  at 
Wenham  he  became  a  furnaceman  as  moulder  and 


274  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

partner.  About  1850  he  embarked  in  business  on 
Marthas  Vineyard,  and  after  remaining  there  a 
few  months  he  went  to  Boston  and  engaged  as 
salesman  for  a  Blackstone  St.  stove  dealer.  A 
short  time  after  this  he  started  a  store  of  his  own 
but  receiving  a  liberal  offer  he  sold  out.  He  thus 
found  himself  out  of  business  but  with  a  good 
stock  of  capital,  and  his  foundry  proclivities  as- 
serting themselves  he  built  a  foundry  at  Water- 
town.  When  the  Civil  war  broke  out  he  received 
a  large  contract  for  making  missiles  of  war  in  con- 
nection with  the  Arsenal,  and  for  three  years  his 
shop  was  in  operation  night  and  day,  with  two 
sets  of  moulders  and  for  a  part  of  the  time  two 
cupolas.  The  profits  of  this  contract  landed  him 
among  the  wealthy  manufacturers,  and  taking  the 
Walkers  in  company  with  him  he  established  the 
Walker  &  Pratt  Foundry  Co. 

LEWIS  PRATT 

A  son  of  Lewis  and  Hannah  (Bonney)  was 
l)orn  in  Carver,  April  4,  1819.  Strictly  speaking 
perhaps  Mr.  Pratt  came  as  near  to  that  condition 
^'born  in  the  iron  business"  as  it  is  possible  for 
one  made  up  of  human  flesh.  His  father  was  a 
furnaceman  and  his  mother's  family  was  de- 
scribed locally  as  ''the  greatest  iron  founders  in 
America."  And  young  Lewis  went  soon  after 
his  birth  to  the  Wankinco  hills  to  reside  with  his 
parents  where  his  father  was  operating  the  Slugg 
furnace.  Thus  his  earliest  recollections  reverted 
to  the  industry  and  he  had  actually  seen  in  opera- 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES  275 

tion  all  of  the  furnaces  and  foundries  of  Carver. 
Though  but  five  years  of  age  when  he  left  ''The 
Slugg ' '  he  distinctly  remembered  seeing  the  plant 
in  operation,  and  of  being  rowed  around  the  fur- 
nace pond  by  Cephas  Shaw,  one  of  the  moulders, 
on  a  raft.  Shaw  was  ever  a  marvel  in  the  memory 
of  Mr.  Pratt.  He  broke  iron  nails  and  rods  with 
his  fingers,  lifted  large  pigs  and  performed  other 
feats  that  were  a  marvel  in  the  eyes  of  the  boy. 
He  also  remembered  seeing  the  Baptist  church  in 
process  of  construction  and  after  the  building  had 
been  framed  he  thought  it  must  be  the  largest 
building  in  the  world.  Such  impressions  which 
Mr.  Pratt  recalled  in  his  old  age  were  very  amus- 
ing to  him  and  he  gave  the  writer  this  bit  of  phil- 
osophy: ''Whether  one  is  a  child  or  an  adult 
things  that  he  cannot  do  or  understand  are  apt  to 
impress  him  far  in  excess  of  their  importance  and 
unless  he  is  on  guard  he  may  ascribe  them  to  the 
supernatural. ' ' 

ARAD  BARROWS 

Arad,  son  of  Nelson  and  Nancy  (Bisbee)  Bar- 
rows was  born  July  22,  1819.  He  left  Carver  in 
1838  locating  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  but  went  to  Phil- 
adelphia the  following  year  where  he  engaged  in 
the  iron  business  with  Peleg  Barrows  Savery  and 
continued  the  business  until  his  death. 

He  was  interested  in  military  affairs  serving 
as  Aide-de-camp  on  the  staff  of  the  Governor  of 
Pennsylvania  with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war  he  took  an 
active  part  in  looking  after  the  welfare  of  the 


276  HISTORY     OF     CARVER 

soldiers,  serving  as  President  of  the  Union  Vol- 
unteers Eefreshment  Saloon  until  the  end  of  hos- 
tilities in  1865.  He  held  numerous  positions  of 
trust  but  never  held  political  office.  He  was  a 
man  of  positive  opinions  on  religious  and  political 
questions.  A  rock  ribbed  Republican  and  a  Puri- 
tan-Quaker in  religion  although  he  never  spoke 
the  language  or  wore  the  garb  of  the  sect. 

He  married  Ellen  Bailey  who  with  a  son  Wil- 
liam Nelson  and  a  daughter  Mrs.  Katherine  Ing- 
ham survived  him.  He  died  at  Atlantic  City,  N. 
J.,  in  1888,  where  he  located  the  previous  year  on 
account  of  failing  health. 

ROSA  A.  COLE 

Rosa  A.,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Lavina 
(Sherman)  Cobb  was  born  in  that  part  of  Carver 
called  Wenham,  March  27,  1841.  Four  years 
later  her  father  who  had  been  operating  a  small 
foundry  in  Wenham  moved  to  PljTuouth  where  in 
company  with  William  R.  Drew  he  established  a 
larger  stove  making  plant  under  the  firm  name  of 
Cobb  and  Drew.  In  1855,  the  buildings  in  Ply- 
mouth having  been  destroyed  by  fire,  the  business 
was  moved  to  Kingston  and  the  manufacture  of 
tacks,  rivets,  etc.,  added  to  the  business  of  the 
firm.  Thus  at  the  age  of  fourteen  Rosa,  as  she 
had  come  to  be  known,  became  a  resident  of  Kings- 
ton. In  1865  she  married  Leander  S.  Cole  of 
Carver. 

Mrs.  Cole  was  a  woman  of  marked  business  abil- 
ity and  upon  the  death  of  her  father  in  1868  she 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES  277 

became  active  in  the  management  of  the  business 
being  associated  with  Byron  C.  Quinby.  After 
his  death  in  1907  the  business  was  incorporated, 
Mrs.  Cole  holding  a  large  share  of  the  stock,  and 
up  to  the  date  of  her  death  serving  on  the  Board 
of  Directors.  She  died  at  her  home  in  Kingston, 
Feb.  4,  1911. 

The  success  of  her  business  enterprises  was 
such  that  she  had  means  and  time  for  charitable 
work.  She  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  Jor- 
dan Hospital  in  Plymouth  and  active  in  its 
management.  Her  charitable  bequests  aggregated 
nearly  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars and  among  them  one  thousand  dollars  each 
to  the  Carver  Public  Library  and  for  the  benefit 
of  Lakenham  Cemetery  in  Carver. 

BENJAMIN   SHURTLEFF,   M.   D. 

Benjamin  Shurtleff,  son  of  Charles  and  Hannah 
(Shaw)  Shurtleff,  was  born  in  Carver  Sept.  7, 
1821,  on  the  old  Shurtleff  farm  that  has  been 
in  the  possession  of  his  family  since  it  was  orig- 
inally granted  to  his  ancestor  William  in  1701. 
He  attended  Carver  schools,  Pierce  Academy  in 
Middleboro,  and  was  graduated  from  Harvard 
Medical  School  in  1848.  While  a  student  at  the 
medical  school  it  was  his  fortune  to  witness  the 
first  surgical  operation  on  one  made  insensible  to 
pain  through  the  inhalation  of  ether,  and  he  was 
said  to  be  the  last  survivor  of  those  who  witnessed 
that  great  event.  Dr.  Shurtletf  served  on  the 
School  Board  of  Carver  in  1844  and  1845. 


278  HISTORY     OF     CARVER 

He  went  to  the  Pacific  coast  in  1849,  sailing 
Jan.  27th,  and  arriving  in  San  Francisco  July 
6th.  For  a  brief  time  he  served  as  a  mine  pros- 
pector, then  took  up  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  Shasta.  He  returned  to  his  old  home  in  1852, 
when  he  was  married  to  Miss  Anne  M.  Griffith 
and  returned  to  California. 

He  was  Shasta  County's  first  Treasurer;  in  the 
State  Senate  for  1861-62-63 ;  County  Physician  ten 
years,  and  a  Presidential  Elector  in  1872.  In 
1874  he  moved  to  Napa,  from  which  town  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion of  1878 ;  was  the  first  Mayor  of  Napa ;  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  Napa  State 
Asylum  sixteen  years ;  life  member  of  the  Society 
of  California  Pioneers,  and  of  the  Harvard 
Alumni  Association.  He  died  at  his  home  in 
Napa  Dec.  22,  1911.  As  a  mark  of  the  esteem 
with  which  he  held  his  native  town  he  presented 
Shurtleff  Park  to  the  public. 

JOHN   SAVERY 

John  Savery,  son  of  Peleg,  was  born  in  Plymp- 
ton,  Aug.  26,  1789.  He  was  destined  to  a  career 
in  the  iron  trade,  which  he  began  at  Charlotte 
Dec.  29,  1807.  He  mastered  all  sides  of  the 
craft  from  topman  to  Proprietor.  Among  his 
experiences  as  moulder,  in  which  he  had  com- 
mendable pride,  was  the  fact  that  he  moulded  shot 
for  the  war  of  1812-14.  After  he  became  inter- 
ested as  a  Proprietor,  he  was  associated  with 
Benjamin  Ellis,  and  leaving  the  partnership,  he 


ANDREW  GRIFFITH 

His  Record  as  a   Municipal  Officer  has  not  lieen   surpassed  in  the 
History  of  the  Town 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES  279 

operated  a  plant  in  Albany  for  a  few  years.  In 
1838,  in  company  with  his  son  William,  he  estab- 
lished the  Phenix  Iron  Works  in  Jersey  City,  and 
soon  after  the  firm  of  John  Savory's  Sons  Co., 
a  well  known  hardware  house  of  New  York  city 
of  the  last  century. 

Aside  from  his  business  duties  he  took  a 
prominent  part  in  politics,  holding  the  position  of 
Representative  to  the  General  Court  at  four 
different  times.  He  married  Polly,  daughter  of 
Capt.  Eli  Atwood,  by  whom  he  had  William, 
Polly  (married  Alexander  Law),  Hannah  Perkins 
(married  Samuel  A.  Shurtleff),  Waitstill  Atwood 
(married  George  Peter  Bowers),  and  John  (died 
in  infancy). 

HON.    THOMAS    SAVERY 

Thomas,  son  of  Peleg  and  Hannah  (Perkins) 
Savery,  was  born  in  Plympton,  Oct.  25,  1787. 
His  early  life  was  spent  in  Carver,  where  he 
entered  Charlotte  furnace  as  a  gutterman  in  1806. 
He  was  speedily  promoted  to  a  moulder,  but  left 
the  furnace  and  moved  to  Wareham  soon  after 
his  marriage.  In  the  town  of  his  adoption  he 
became  a  business  and  political  leader.  He  served 
as  a  Selectman,  Representative  in  the  General 
Court,  County  Commissioner,  and  for  the  years 
1853  and  1854  on  the  Governor's  Council.  He 
married  Betsey,  oldest  daughter  of  ''Left" 
Joseph  Shaw,  by  whom  he  had  three  children, 
John,  bom  Nov.  3,  1815,  being  the  only  one  who 
survived  him.      He  died  May  15,  1873. 


280  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

COL.   BARTLETT   MURDOCK 

Bartlett,  son  of  Bartlett,  Jr.,  and  Deborah 
(Perkins)  Murdock,  and  grandson  of  Bartlett^ 
the  founder  of  Charlotte  furnace,  was  born  in 
Plympton  Dec.  7,  1783.  His  mother,  left  a 
widow  at  an  early  age,  showed  excellent  business 
ability,  and  continued  her  interest  in  the  firm. 
Inheriting  the  family  traits,  young  Bartlett  be- 
came a  moulder  in  the  family  works,  where  his 
promotion  was  rapid.  Becoming  a  partner  of 
his  brother-in-law,  Benjamin  Ellis,  it  soon 
transpired  that  Charlotte  village  was  not  large 
enough  for  the  development  of  both,  and  Col. 
Murdock  stepped  over  the  line  into  Wareham, 
and  established  the  Mt.  Washington  Iron  Works 
at  Tremont.  He  was  a  jolly  soul,  popular  with 
his  employees  and  neighbors,  and  his  business 
career  in  his  adopted  town  was  marked  with 
success.  He  married  Hannah  Atwood,  by  whom 
he  had  Uriel,  Hiram  (died  in  infancy),  and 
Abigail. 

HON.    OLIVER   SHAW 

The  subject  of  this  paragraph,  son  of  Joseph 
and  Hannah  (Dunham)  Shaw,  was  born  in 
Carver  Feb.  5,  1831.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he 
entered  the  foundry  as  an  apprentice,  and  after 
working  at  his  trade  in  foundries  of  Carver, 
Middleboro,  Boston  and  Watertown,  he  became, 
in  1863,  Superintendent  of  the  stove  works  of 
Miles  Pratt  &  Co.,  in  Watertown.  He  served  in 
this  capacity,  through  the  different  managements 


\ 


WILLIAM  SAVERY 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES  281 

of  the  Watertown  works,  until  his  death,  being 
one  of  the  directors  upon  the  incorporation  of 
the  business  in  1877.  He  was  one  of  the  incor- 
porators of  the  Watertown  Savings  Bank  in 
1872,  and  one  of  the  original  trustees;  elected 
President  of  the  Union  Market  National  Bank 
in  1883;  holding  both  positions  to  the  time 
of  his  death.  From  1870  to  1885  he  was  on 
the  Board  of  Selectmen  of  his  adopted  town, 
the  greater  part  of  the  time  serving  as  Chair- 
man. In  the  election  of  1894  he  was  elected 
Senator  from  the  Second  Middlesex  District, 
but  died  December  26th  of  that  year,  before 
the  Senate  to  which  he  was  elected  was  organ- 
ized. He  was  married  in  1855  to  Miss  Miranda 
Atwood  of  Carver. 

DEA.    THOMAS    COBB 

Thomas,  son  of  Thomas  and  Hannah  Cobb, 
was  born  in  Carver  Aug.  17,  1808.  He  was  a 
direct  descendant  of  Elder  Henry  Cobb,  who 
landed  in  Plymouth  in  1629,  and  who  later  be- 
came one  of  the  best  known  residents  of  Barn- 
stable County,  and  among  his  ancestors  were 
such  Old  Colony  families  as  Bennett,  Holmes, 
Nelson,  Morton,  Churchill,  Bryant  and  Shaw.  He 
married  Mary  Hammond,  by  whom  he  had 
Almira  H.  (married  William  H.  Barrows), 
Jerusha,  Juliet,  Thomas  and  Solon  (Reverend). 
He  was  one  of  the  best  known  men  of  the  town 
in  his  day,  and  having  served  as  Deacon  of  the 
church  at  the  Green  a  period  of  fifty- two  years, 
he  was  popularly  known  as  Deacon  Cobb. 


282  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Through  a  kindly  disposition  he  made  a  lasting 
impression  on  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact, 
and  many  of  the  present  generation  look  back  to 
their  childhood  days  with  pleasant  memories  of 
Deacon  Cobb,  who  was  the  first  to  peddle  pastry 
and  candy  through  the  town. 

He  died  at  his  home  near  the  Green,  August 
25,  1886. 

GEORGE    PETER   BOWERS 

George  P.  Bowers,  who  was  destined  to  play 
a  prominent  part  in  the  development  of  Carver, 
was  a  native  of  Leominster,  where  he  was  bom 
in  1813.  Among  the  traditional  stories,  more 
or  less  hazy,  which  illustrate  his  character,  con- 
cerns the  time  in  his  early  career  when  he  was 
sent  away  as  manager  of  one  of  Ben.  Ellis' 
trading  vessels.  He  was  under  orders  to  trade 
his  cargo  of  ware  for  anything  salable,  and  in 
due  time  his  employer  was  startled  by  a  letter 
from  his  agent  to  the  effect  that  the  cargo  of 
ware  had  been  traded  for  a  cargo  of  warming 
pans,  and  that  the  agent  was  on  his  way  to  Cuba 
to  trade  the  pans  for  rum  and  molasses.  Shrewd 
Ben  Ellis  couldn't  see  any  demand  for  warming 
pans  in  a  tropical  climate,  but  when  the  agent 
returned  with  the  report  that  the  pans  were 
eagerly  taken  by  the  molasses  manufacturers  as 
utensils  for  handling  their  goods,  his  apparent 
blunder  was  forgiven. 

Mr.  Bowers  was  a  bold  operator,  with  unlimited 
faith  in  his  ventures.  Hence  he  was  the  pro- 
moter and  one  of  the  active  managers   of  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES  283 

only  cotton  mill  the  town  has  ever  had,  and  also 
the  first  to  engage  in  the  cultivation  of  cran- 
berries on  a  large  scale.  While  he  died  before 
the  industry  was  fully  developed,  the  success  of 
the  East  Head  bog  has  confirmed  his  judgment, 
not  only  in  the  trade  generally,  but  in  his  method 
of  bog  construction. 

Mr.  Bowers  was  twice  married.  First  to  Miss 
Waitstill  A.  Savery,  and  second  to  Miss  Eliza  A. 
Shaw. 

MAJOR   THOMAS   B.    GRIFFITH 

As  a  strong  individuality  Major  Griffith  made 
a  lasting  mark.  Before  entering  upon  his 
business  career  he  travelled  extensively,  shipping 
on  two  whaling  voyages  to  South  America  and 
the  Indian  Ocean.  After  he  retired  from  the 
sea  he  spent  short  terms  clerking  in  Cincinnati 
and  New  York,  and  then  returned  to  Carver, 
where  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  by  Benjamin 
Ellis  &  Co.  until  he  embarked  in  business  for 
himself. 

In  addition  to  his  military  and  business 
activities  in  Carver,  he  was  one  of  the  promoters 
of  Onset  Bay,  settling  there  to  establish  a  Spritu- 
alistic  resort,  when  the  land  was  unbroken  oak 
hills,  and  he  was  a  leading  figure  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  resort.  He  was  also  one  of  the  pro- 
moters of  the  United  Fruit  Company  that  met  with 
marvelous  success  in  the  development  of  the 
fruit  trade. 

Major  Griffith  was  born  in  Middleboro,  near  the 
Carver  line.  May  17,  1823,  a  son  of  Ellis  and 


284  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Lucy  M.  (Bent)  Griffith.  He  married  in  1852 
Hannah  M.,  daughter  of  Isaac  L.  and  Hannah 
Dunham. 


EBEN    D.    SHAW 

A  son  of  Joseph  and  Hannah,  was  born  Feb.  8, 
1823.  The  iron  trade  was  characteristic  of  his 
family,  and  he  became  a  moulder  at  an  early  age, 
By  1850  he  was  operating  a  foundry  of  his  own 
in  Middleboro.  In  1868  he  started  the  David 
Pratt  foundry  at  Wenliam  with  horse  power.  He 
made  a  specialty  of  hollow  ware,  and  is  said  to 
have  been  the  first  to  utilize  iron  flasks  for 
moulding.  The  following  year  he  moved  the 
business  to  Plymouth,  and  became  one  of  the 
incorporators  of  the  PljTiiouth  Foundry  Com- 
pany on  Water  street.  The  last  of  his  projects 
was  the  establishment  of  a  charcoal  facing  plant 
at  Carver,  in  company  with  his  sons,  Eugene  E. 
and  Frederick  W.,  under  the  firm  name  of  E.  D. 
Shaw  &  Sons. 

E.    TILLSON    PRATT 

This  best  known  of  school  teachers  of  Carver 
was  born  June  6,  1825,  a  son  of  Tillson  and 
Elizabeth  Pratt.  His  life  was  devoted  to  the 
cause  of  education,  and  he  was  an  active  enthusiast 
in  the  development  of  our  school  system.  Upon 
his  death  he  left  his  estate  as  a  perpetual  fund, 
the  income  of  which  goes  to  the  benefit  of  the 
schools. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES  285 

MRS.    P.    JANE    BARROWS 

Priscilla  Jane,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Hannah 
(Dunham)  Shaw,  was  bom  Aug.  1,  1832.  She 
married  Pelham  W.  Barrows. 

Through  her  parents  she  was  a  scion  of  the 
first  settlers  of  this  region  and  of  numerous  Old 
Colony  families.  She  was  always  actively  in- 
terested in  public  affairs.  When  the  news  of 
the  surrender  of  Gen.  Lee  at  Appomattox  reached 
her  she  hastened  to  the  Baptist  church,  where 
she  rang  the  bell  as  a  signal  for  the  general 
rejoicing.  She  was  a  promoter  of  the  Carver 
Ladies'  Soldiers  Memorial  Association,  and 
served  as  its  President  until  its  object  was 
achieved.  She  was  also  one  of  the  promoters 
of  the  Old  Home  gatherings,  where  her  extended 
acquaintances  and  democratic  manners  made  her 
a  happy  medium.  She  was  popularly  hailed  as 
Aunt  Jane. 

JOHN  :maxim,  jr. 

A  celebrated  local  wit  and  writer,  John 
Maxim,  Jr.,  was  born  in  1795,  in  the  house  at 
Huckleberry  Corner,  where  his  eighty-eight 
years  were  spent.  He  was  four  times  married, 
first  Miss  Susannah  Pratt,  second  Miss  Ellen 
Pratt,  third  Miss  Sarah  P.  Mulford,  fourth  Mrs. 
Susan  A.  Lawrence. 

At  an  early  age  he  began  to  write  for  the  local 
press  under  the  nom  de  plume  of  Bemis,  and  for 
seventy  years  his  contributions  were  noted  for 


286  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

their  originality.      Many  of  his  news  items  were 
made  up  in  the  form  of  rhymes,  as: 

* '  On  Saturday  noon  I  saw  a  balloon 
And  fixed  my  eyes  upon  her; 
To  my  delight  she  did  alight 
In  Huckleberry  Corner." 

Mr.  Maxim  entered  the  blast  furnace  and  be- 
came a  moulder  of  the  old  school,  and  through 
his  native  gifts  he  matched  the  jolly  crews,  and 
his  jokes  and  repartee  are  proverbial.  He  at- 
tained his  widest  fame  in  the  Presidential 
campaign  of  1840,  when  he  published  a  campaign 
songster  that  went  through  two  editions  and  did 
its  part  in  fanning  the  enthusiasm  of  that  re- 
markable political  contest.  He  travelled  on  the 
log  cabin  floats  in  this  section  of  the  State, 
singing  from  his  song  book  at  the  rallies.  His 
songs  were  witty  hits  on  the  political  slang  of 
the  day,  adapted  to  the  popular  melodies,  and 
aroused  great  enthusiasm  among  the  Whigs. 
The  following  may  be  taken  as  a  sample,  sung 
to  the  air  of  Yankee  Doodle: 

"Thus  was  our  nation  sore  oppressed 

By  Little  Martin  Vanny, 
Who  by  next  Spring  must  leave  his  nest 

For  Harrison  his  granny. 
Martin's  aristocracy 

Makes  the  people  wonder 
Loco-Foco-ocracy 

To  Whiggery  knocks  under," 

In  the  Polk  campaign  of  1844  Mr.  Maxim 
continued  the   same   tactics,   but   with  less   en- 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES  287 

tliusiasm.  The  following  from  one  of  his  songs 
of  the  second  campaign  perhaps  illustrates  the 
Whig  sentiment  concerning  the  Mexican  war: 

''Locofoeos  haste  away 
To  Mexico  "without  delay, 
The  fight  began  with  Locos  crew 
And  now  his  men  must  fight  it  through. ' ' 

Following  these  episodes  he  turned  to  the 
anti-slavery  agitation,  and  following  the  Civil 
war  he  devoted  his  writing  and  songs  to  the 
cause  of  temperance.  He  was  a  musician, 
playing  the  violin,  and  a  music  teacher  and  com- 
poser of  no  little  talent,  but  as  a  witty  writer 
he  made  his  most  lasting  impression.  The  fol- 
lowing may  be  selected  as  characteristic  of  his 
style : 

On  the  request  of  a  young  lady  for  a  declama- 
tion for  a  school  concert  he  handed  her  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"Young  ladies  all  on  you  I  call 
To  pause,  reflect,  and  think; 
Withhold  your  hand  from  that  young  man 
Who  loves  to  use  strong  drink. 

"He's  on  the  way  to  misery's  day 
Which  soon  will  overtake  him, — 
If  he  looks  fair  as  lilies  are 
Young  woman,  0,  forsake  him. 

"He's  not  the  boy  to  raise  your  joy 
But  for  a  little  season, 
For  rum  and  gin  his  love  will  win 
And  override  his  reason. 


288  HISTORY     OF     CARVER 

"Then  you'll  be  left,  of  peace  bereft 
And  all  your  comforts  fled, — 
Such  is  the  fate  of  small  and  great 
Who  do  rum  drinkers  wed." 


REV.  SOLON  COBB 

The  most  eminent  of  the  pulpit  orators  who 
commenced  their  career  in  Carver,  and  who  did 
faithful  service  in  impressing  the  New  England 
character  on  our  American  life,  Rev.  Solon  Cobb, 
was  born  in  Carver,  Sept.  12,  1839,  son  of  Dea. 
Thomas  and  Mary  (Hammond)  Cobb.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools,  and  after  a  short 
experience  as  a  teacher,  he  prepared  for  the  minis- 
try in  the  Theological  schools  at  Andover,  Mass., 
and  Auburn,  N.  Y. 

From  1864  to  the  date  of  his  death  he  was  in 
the  service  of  the  church  at  the  following  pas- 
torates : 

First  Presbyterian  church,  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  1864 
to  1869. 

Congregationalist  church,  Medway,  Mass.,  1869 
to  1875. 

Congregationalist  church,  Jacksonville,  Fla., 
1875  to  1878. 

Central  Presbyterian  church,  Erie,  Penn.,  1878 
to  1894. 

Point  Breeze  Presbyterian  church,  Pittsburg, 
Penn.,  1894  to  1900. 

He  was  married  in  1865  to  Miss  Hannah  D. 
Anthony  of  New  Bedford,  by  whom  he  had  one 
son,  now  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at 


MRS.  ROSA  A.  COLE 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES  289 

Cambridge  Springs,  Penn.  He  was  created  a 
Doctor  of  Divinity  by  the  University  of  Western 
Pennsylvania.  He  died  at  Ms  home  in  Pittsburg, 
May  26,  1900. 

ELLIS  H.  CORNISH,  M.  D. 

Born  in  Halifax,  Mass.,  Ang.  24,  1840.  Edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town,  at 
Pierce  Academy,  Middleboro,  and  graduated  from 
Harvard  Medical  School.  Taught  school  for  brief 
periods  in  Middleboro  and  Bridgewater  and  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  at  North  Carver  in 
1868.  He  was  married  on  Jan.  1st  of  that  year 
to  Miss  Nancy  Pratt  who  had  been  a  pupil  in  his 
Bridgewater  school. 

His  life  was  spent  in  Carver,  where  he  enjoyed 
a  large  practice  extending  over  the  adjoining 
towns.  He  was  noted  for  his  sincerity,  his  sym- 
pathy for  people  in  distress,  and  for  an  unselfish 
devotion  to  his  profession.  For  over  forty  years 
he  was  a  welcomed  visitor  in  the  homes  of  the 
aflSicted,  where  his  skill  and  integrity  carried  hope, 
and  his  chief  motive  was  in  doing  good.  He  died 
at  his  home  in  South  Carver,  July  24,  1910. 


HON.  PELEG  McFARLIN 

* 

Aside  from  his  business  career  Mr.  McFarlin 
developed  marked  talent  as  a  writer  and  speaker. 
When  the  iron  industry  began  to  decline  he  en- 
tered heartily  into  the  movement  for  tariff  re- 
form, taking  high  rank  among  the  advocates  of  the 


290  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

principles  of  tlie  New  England  Free  Trade 
League.  While  the  greater  part  of  his  work  was 
devoted  to  political  and  economic  questions,  he 
wrote  much  from  a  purely  literary  standpoint 
covering  a  wide  range  of  subjects.  For  twenty- 
five  years  the  writings  of  Ruralis  and  Logan,  nom 
de  plumes  over  which  he  wrote,  were  features  of 
the  local  press.  His  contributions  in  both  prose 
and  poetry  dealt  in  an  original  vein  with  local 
history,  tradition  and  general  philosophy,  and 
these  contributions  now  afford  a  bright  star  in 
local  annals.  He  was  an  all  around  writer — not 
a  genius — for  as  he  wrote:  "A  man  of  genius  is, 
as  a  rule,  erratic,  and  his  title  to  fame  almost  in- 
variably depends  on  some  supreme  effort.  It 
would  seem  as  if  his  soul  possessed  but  one  drop 
of  the  pure  oil  of  genius,  touched  by  a  live  coal 
from  the  altar  of  fancy,  flamed  forth  with  porten- 
tious  brilliancy,  lighting  to  the  view  of  the  world, 
a  hitherto  undiscovered  realm  of  beauty.  While 
yet  the  exalted  vision  lingers,  he  writes  his  name 
beneath  the  picture  and  'tis  his  forever  more.' 
And  so  with  little  men  who  tread  the  lower  plane ; 
and  so  with  the  modest  dabbler  with  ink  who 
writes  the  village  news.  His  pathway  is,  for  the 
most  part,  flower  girt  and  easy,  but  he  sometimes 
meets  the  stony  hill  and  seeks  its  summit  with 
toiling  steps." 

He  was  a  versatile  writer,  confining  himself  to 
no  particular  style  or  hobby  and  playing  much 
with  humor  and  satire.  Perhaps  the  most  noted 
of  his  poetical  sketches  was  ' '  The  Money  Digger, ' ' 
in  which  he  related  in  three  chapters  the  locally 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES  291 

famous  story  of  the  finding  of  Capt.  Kidd's  treas- 
ure on  the  island  in  Wenham  pond.  Yet  he  could 
turn  to  a  serious  vein,  as  note  a  quotation  from  a 
poem  on  ''Autumn  Days": 

*'Once  more  the  gleaners  bind  their  sheaves 

That  mark  the  season's  wane, 
"Once  more  we  note  the  rustling  leaves 

Upon  the  harvest  plain. 

''The  tardy  morn,  the  hastening  shade, 
The  crickets  in  the  grass. 
Giving  a  voice  to  every  blade 
To  swell  their  evening  mass.- 

"The  falling  fruit,  the  bending  vines. 
The  ripe  and  golden  grain, 
These,  hold  the  sure  and  grateful  signs. 
Of  Autumn's  generous  reign. 

"Thy  precepts.  Autumn,  closer  bind 
My  trusting  heart  to  thee, 
And  Nature  never  seems  so  kind. 
Nor  smiles  so  sweet  to  me, 

"As  when  the  flowers  begin  to  fade 
Along  the  darkened  wall. 
And  one  by  one,  within  the  glade, 
\.  The  leaves  begin  to  fall." 


PRECINCT  OFFICERS,  PARISH  OFFICERS, 

CHURCH  MEMBERS,  TOWN  OFFICERS 

PRECINCT  CLERKS 

Joseph  Lucas  1732—1740 

Joseph  Bridgham  1741—1745 

Benjamin  Shurtleff  1746—1757 

Samuel  Lucas  1758 

Benjamin  Shurtleff  1759—1760 

Frances  Shurtleff  *           1761 

Dea.  Lucas  1762 

Samuel  Lucas  1763—1765 

Frances  Shurtleff  1766 

Samuel  Lucas  1767 — 1768 

Frances  Shurtleff  1769—1779 

Nehemiah  Cobb  1780—1790 

Abiel  Shurtleff  1791—1799 

Ephraim  Pratt  1800—1818 

Levi  Vaughan  1819—1824 

Lemuel  Pratt  1825—1828 

Ephraim  Harlow  1829—1830 

PRECINCT  TREASURERS 

Samuel  Jackson  1732 

John  Cole  1733—1736 

Samuel  Jackson  1737—1741 

George  Barrows,  Jr.  1742—1744 

Joseph  Bridgham  1745 

Rowland  Hammond  1746 
293 


294 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


John  Shaw 

1747- 

-1750 

Rowland  Hammond 

1751- 

-1766 

Samuel  Lucas 

1767- 

-1780 

Issacher  Fuller 

1781- 

-1782 

Dea.  Samuel  Lucas 

1783 

Samuel  Lucas,  3d 

1784—1786 

Isaiah  Tillson 

1787 

Nehemiah  Cobb 

1788- 

-1790 

Capt.  Crooker 

1791 

Capt.  Benj.  Croker 

1792 

Nehemiah  Cobb 

1793- 

-1810 

Thomas  Cobb 

1811- 

-1814 

Ebenezer  Doten 

1815- 

-1816 

Rufus  Sherman,  Jr. 

1817- 

-1818 

Thomas  Cobb 

1819- 

-1822 

Rufus  Sherman,  Jr. 

1823- 

-1825 

Alven  Vaughan 

1826- 

-1830 

PRECINCT 

COLLECTORS 

Jabez  Nye 

1732 

Barnabas  Atwood 

1733 

Abel  Crocker 

1734 

John  Shaw 

1735 

Elisha  Lucas 

1736 

Jabez  Eddy,  Jr. 

1737 

Benjamin  Shurtleff 

1738 

Ichabod  Shurtleff 

1739 

William  Lucas 

1740 

Joseph  Pratt 

1741 

Nathaniel  Shaw 

1742 
1743 
1744 
1745 

Samual  Lucas 

Moses  Shaw 

1746 

Jonathan  Tillson 

1747 

.  PRECINCT    OFFICERS 

Samuel  Tillson 

1748 

Bonum  Nye 

1749 

David  Ransom 

1750 

1751 

Moses  Barrows 

1752 

Dea.  Dunham 

1753 

Eleazer  Crocker 

1754 

Joshua  Perkins 

1755 

Cornelius  Dunham 

1756 

1757 

Eleazer  Robbins 

1758 

Nathaniel  Cobb,  Jr. 

1759 

Nathan  Cobb 

1760 

William  Shurtleff 

1761 

Elkanah  Lucas 

1762 

John  Bridgham 

1763 

Nathaniel  Cobb,  Jr. 

1764 

Nathaniel  Cobb,  Jr. 

1765 

Azariah  Whitton 

1766 

Consider  Chase 

1767 

Barnabas  Lucas 

1768 

Consider  Chase 

1769 

Consider  Chase 

1770 

Gideon  Sampson 

1771 

Joshua  Perkins 

1772 

David  Wood 

1774 

Isaac  Nye 

1777 

Eleazer  Crocker 

1778 

Abial  Shurtleff 

1779 

Elias  Nye 

1780 

Gideon  Barrows 

1781 

Peleg  Barrows 

1781 

John  Shurtleff 

1782 

John  Shaw,  Jr. 

1782 

Benjamin  Cobb 

1783 

295 


296  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Isaac  Shaw  1784 
Isaac  Shaw  Lucas  1785 
Jabez  ChurchiU  1785 
Barnabas  Cobb  1786 
Jonathan  Tillson  1789 
Isaac  Shaw  1790 
Consider  Chase  1791 
Benj.  Shurtlefe  1792 
Nathaniel  Vaughan  1794 
Benj.  Shurtleff  1795 
Moses  Dunham  1796 
Ebenezer  Doten  1797 
Benjamin  Cobb  1807 
Thomas  Cobb  1808 
Asaph  Washburn  1808 
Levi  Vaughan  1809 
Thomas  Barrows  1809 
Stephen  Shurtleff  1810 
Nehemiah  Cobb  1810 
John  Waterman  1811 
Lieut.  Isaiah  Tillson  1811 
Israel  Dunham  1812 
Stephen  Shurtleff  1813 
Hezekiah  Cole  1814 
Stephen  Shurtleff  1814 
Levi  Vaughan  1815 
Hezekiah  Cole  1816 
Charles  Barrows  1817 
Levi  Vaughan  1818 
Ephraim  Pratt  1819 
Ebenezer  Fuller  1821 
Job  Morton  1825 
Ephraim  Harlow  1826 
Thomas  Hammond  1826 
1827 


DEA.  TliOMA.S  COBB 


PRECINCT 

OFFICERS 

Ebenezer  Fuller 

1828 

Ephraim  Harlow 

1829 

Levi  Vauglian 

1830 

Alvin  Vaughan 

1830 

PRECINCT 

JANITORS 

Eleazer  Jackson 

1735- 

-1736 

Samuel  Barrows 

1737 

Isaac  Waterman 

1738- 

-1739 

George  Barrows,  Jr. 

1740- 

-1742 

Lieut.  Jonathan  Shaw 

1743- 

-1744 

Samuel  Shaw 

1745- 

-1747 

Samuel  Barrows 

1748 

Samuel  Shaw 

1749 

Abel  Crocker 

1750 

George  Barrows,  Jr. 

1751- 

-1760 

James  Wallis 

1761- 

-1776 

Issacher  Fuller 

1777 

John  Sherman 

1778 

Dea.  Savery 

1779 

Issacher  Fuller 

1780 

Jonathan  TiUson 

1781 

Andrew  Barrows 

1782- 

-1783 

Dea.  Thomas  Savery 

1784 

Issacher  FuUer 

1784 

Ebenezer  Ransom 

1784 

Samuel  Cobb 

1784 

Benjamin  Cobb 

1784 

Jonathan  Tillson 

1784 

Timothy  Cobb 

1785 

Ebenezer  Ransom 

1786- 

-1787 

Benjamin  Cobb 

1788 

Ebenezer  Ransom 

1789 

Samuel  Cobb 

1790 

Jonathan  Tillson 

1791 

297 


298 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


Samuel  Cobb 
Benjamin  Cobb 
Andrew  Barrows 
Benjamin  Cobb 
Isaiah  Tillson 
Jonah  Bisbee 
Asaph  Bisbee 
Job  Cole 
Asaph  Bisbee 
Calvin  Howland 
Asaph  Bisbee 
Job  Cole 
Ebenezer  Fuller 
Benjamin  Cobb 
Jane  Bisbee 
James  Savery 
Jane  Bisbee 
None 
Job  Cole 
Ephraim  Harlow 


1792 

1793 

1794 

1795—1796 

1797 

1798 

1799 

1800 

1801 

1802 

1803 

1804—1806 

1807 

1808 

1809—1813 

1814—1815 

1816—1819 

1820—1822 

1823 

1824 


PRECINCT    STANDING    COMMITTEE 
Those  who  served  and  the  Year  for  which  they  served 


Barnabas  Atwood 
Nathaniel  Atwood 
Ensign  Nathaniel  Atwood 
Lieut.  Nathaniel  Atwood 
Charles  Barrows 
George  Barrows 
Lothrop  Barrows 
Moses  Barrows 
Peleg  Barrows 
Joseph  Bridgham,  Esq. 
Dr.  Joseph  Bridgham 


1759 

1743 

1744,  45 

1749—51,  54,  55 

1830 

1736,  57—61 

1817,  23,  26,  28,  29 

1748 

1812—15 

1749 

1738—40 


PRECINCT    OFFICERS 


299 


Benjamin  Cobb 
Nathan  Cobb 
Nehemiah  Cobb 
Timothy  Cobb 
Thomas  Cobb 
Abel  Crocker 
Dea.  Abel  Crocker 
Eleazer  Crocker 
Dea.  Dunham 
Capt.  Israel  Dunham 
Dea.  Silvanus  Dunham 
Richard  Dwelly 
Benjamin  Ellis 
Ebenezer  Fuller 
Isaac  Fuller 
Thomas  Hammond 
Lieut.  Eleazer  Jackson 
Samuel  Jackson 
Abijah  Lucas 
Elisha  Lucas 
Joseph  Lucas 
Samuel  Lucas 
Samuel  Lucas 
Samuel  Lucas 
Samuel  Lucas,  3d 
Lieut.  Samuel  Lucas 
Joshua  Perkins 
Benjamin  Ransom 
Ebenezer  Ransom 
Joseph  Robbins 
Benoni  Shaw 
John  Shaw 
Capt.  Joseph  Shaw 
Nathaniel  Shaw 
Nathaniel  Shaw 
Capt.  Nathaniel  Shaw 


1824 

1813—15,  24 

1802—11,  17,  18 

1787—90 

1819—22,  28,  29 

1737—39,  41,  42,  46,  47 

1752 

1762—64,  70—83 

1756 

1823,  26 

1765—69 

1732—33 

1816,  19 

1827,  30 

1787 

1812 

1734,  35 

1736 

1797—1802,  12,  16,  19 

1740,  46—48,  52,  53 

1733 

1732 

1791—96 

1825,  26 

1783—86 

1734—36 

1785,  86 

1825 

1737 

1830 

1743 

1741,  42,  53 

1825—27 

1775—83 

1759,  60 

1763,  64,  70—74,  84 


300  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Samuel  Shaw  1737^2,  44-48,  50,  57 

Capt.  Shaw  1761,  62 

John  Sherman  1803—11,  16 

Levi  Sherman  1824,  28,  29 

Capt.  Nathaniel  Sherman  1794^1802 

Abial  Shurtleff  1787 

Capt.  Barnabas  Shurtleff 

1732—35,  43,  44,  49,  50—55 
Benjamin  Shurtleff  1758 

Benjamin  Shurtleff  1791—96,  98—1801 

Lothrop  Shurtleff  1820—22 

Shurtleff,  Esq.  1756 

Edward  Stevens  1803—11 

Isaiah  TiUson  1782,  84—86,  1891—93 

Jonathan  TiUson  1757,  58,  60 

Lieut.  Jonathan  Tillson  1761—69,  80,  81 

Daniel  Vaughan  1770—74 

James  Vaughan  1797 

Joseph  Vaughan  1788—90 

Levi  Vaughan  1817,  18,  20—23,  26 

PRECINCT  ASSESSORS 

"With  the  Years  for  which  they  served.     None  were 
elected  for  the  years  1805,  1820,  1826,  1827 

Nathaniel  Atwood  1746 

Lothrop  Barrows  1825 

Joseph  Bridgham  1741,  42,  46 

Barnabas  Cobb  1791,  92,  95,  97—1801 
Nehemiah  Cobb 

1781—89,  90,  92,  93,  99,  1802^,  7,  10 

Eleazer  Crocker  1762 

Ebenezer  Doten  1802^,  6—19 

Thomas  Doty  1790 

Richard  Dwelley  1733 


PRECINCT    OFFICERS 


301 


Benjamin  Ellis  1806,  10 

George  Hammond  1763—67,  72—77 

Rowland  Hammond 

1743_-45,  47—51,  53,  55—58 


1813—16,  28 

1822—24 

1739—45,  47 

1755,  59—62 

1732—34,  36—42 

1735 

1748—51 

1752—54,  56—58,  71—83 

1784—86,  88,  89 


Thomas  Hammond 
Ephraim  Harlow 
Elisha  Lucas 
John  Lucas 
Joseph  Lucas 
Lieut.  Samuel  Lucas 
Samuel  Lucas 
Dea.  Samuel  Lucas 
Samuel  Lucas  3d 
Samuel  Lucas,  Jr. 

1790—97,  1800-4,  7,  8,  17—19,  21 
John  Murdock  1732—40 

Luke  Perkins  1809,  11,  12 

David  Pratt  1825 

Lemuel  Pratt  1821 

Benjamin  Ransom  1829 

James  Robbins  1759 — 61 

Abial  Shurtleff  1788,  89 

Capt.  Barnabas  Shurtleff  1732,  34,  35 

Benjamin  Shurtleff 

1743—47,   49—52,  54,   55,   59—62 
Benjamin  Shurtleff  1787,  90,  91,  93—99 

David  Shurtleff  1736—38 

Francis  Shurtleff,  Esq.  1768—73,  78—87 


1830 
1822—25,  28—30 


Henry  Sherman 

Levi  Sherman 

Capt.  Nathaniel  Sherman 

1794—96,  98,  1800,  01,  06,  08 

Thomas 1802 

Jonathan  Tillson  1748,  52—54,  56,  58 

Lieut.  Jonathan  Tillson  1763—71,  74r— 80 

Levi  Vaughan  1811—19,  21—24,  28—30 


302  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

PARISH  OFFICERS 

The  parish,  inheriting  the  form  without  the 
authority  of  the  precinct,  speedily  adjusted  its 
affairs  to  changing  conditions.  While  collectors 
were  chosen  for  two  years  their  uselessness  was 
so  apparent  that  the  obsolete  office  was  abolished 
and  the  modem  custom  of  appointing  soliciting 
committees  instituted.  These  committees — one 
for  each  school  district  in  town,  were  instructed 
to  collect  the  subscriptions  and  pay  them  over  to 
the  Treasurer.  For  a  few  years  the  position  of 
janitor  was  set  up  at  auction  and  let  to  the  lowest 
bidder,  but  this  custom  was  of  short  duration 
when  the  matter  was  left  in  the  hands  of  the 
standing  committee. 

While  the  North  and  Centre  societies  main- 
tained their  union  there  was  a  semblance  of  life 
in  the  parish.  The  standing  committee  had  charge 
of  both  meeting  houses;  members  of  both  so- 
cieties were  on  the  committee ;  and  the  parish,  by 
vote,  apportioned  the  services  between  the  houses 
of  worship.  From  the  time  the  union  was  sun- 
dered (about  1853)  the  meetings  of  the  parish 
were  little  but  duplicates  of  the  North  church 
meetings,  although  the  custom  was  continued 
until  1896. 

PARISH    CLERKS 

William  Barrows  1831—1840 

Thomas  Cobb  1841—1854 

C.  H.  Chase  1855—1857 

Ralph  Copeland  1858 

C.  H.  Chase  1859 


PARISH    OFFICERS  303 

Ralph  Copeland  1860—1869 

C.  H.  Chase  1870—1872 

William  W.  Atwood  1873—1874 

Benjamin  W.  Robbins  1875—1896 

PARISH  TREASURERS 

Alvin  Vaughan  1831—1833 

Ephraim  Harlow  1834 

Dea.  Levi  Vaughan  1835—1844 

Timothy  Cobb  1845—1851 

James  B.  Tillson  1852—1854 

Ezra  Lucas  1855 — 1856 

Ralph  Copeland  1857—1869 

Rufus  J.  Brett  1870—1877 

Theron  M.  Cole  1878—1896 

PARISH  STANDING  COMMITTEE 

Reuel  Atwood  1854 

William  W.  Atwood  1860,  62—67 

Charles  Barrows  1843 — 45 

Capt.  Lothrop  Barrows  1836,  38^0 

Rufus  J.  Brett  1856—59,  68—73 

Benjamin  Chase  1849,  51 

Timothy  Cobb  1842,  51 
Thomas  Cobb      1836,  37,  50,  51,  55—61,  68—82 

Theron  M.  Cole  1895,  96 

Thomas  Cushman  1855,  56 

Ebenezer  Fuller  1831 

Thomas  Hammond  1842—46,  54,  55 

Alvin  C.  Harlow  1853 

Ephraim  Harlow  1838— iO 

Ezra  Lucas  1842 

Capt.  Benjamin  Ransom  1833 

Benjamin  Robbins  1874,  75,  83—96 

Chandler  Robbins  1846—50 


304  HISTORY    OP    CARVER 

Joseph  Robbins,  Jr.  1831,  32 

Ichabod  Sampson  1852,  53 

William  S.  Savery  1831—33,  50 
Charles  S.  Shaw 

Henry  Sherman      1834^-40,  45,  52,  62,  67—95 

Levi  Sherman  1846,  48 

Nelson  Sherman  1896 

Rufus  Sherman  1834,  35 

James  B.   Tillson  1847—49,  52,  54 

Alvin  Vaughan  1832—34,  37 

Daniel  Vaughan  1853 

Ezra  Vaughan  1857—60,  77—94 

Isaac  Vaughan  1835 

Levi  Vaughan  1843,  44 


JOHN   MAXIM,  JK. 
More   widely   kuowii   as  Bemis,  the   bard  of   Huckleberry  Corner 


CHURCH    MEMBERS  305 

DEACONS,  CONGREGATIONALIST  CHURCH 

Thomas  Savery  


Nehemiah  Cobb  1807 

Isaac  Shaw  Lucas  

Levi  Vaughan  1822 

Nathan  Cobb  1824 

Thomas  Cobb  1829 

Thomas  Hammond  

Thomas  Cushman  1857 

William  W.  Atwood  1864 

Job  C.  Chandler  1877 

Charlotte  E.  Eames  1888 

Theron  M.  Cole  1903 

Benjamin  W.  Robbins  1903 

Edgar  E.  Gardner  1912 


MEMBERS  OF  CONGREGATIONALIST   CHURCH 

Through  the  loss  of  the  records  of  Eev.  Othniel 
Campbell  there  is  no  record  of  the  church  mem- 
bership preceding  the  ministry  of  Rev.  John  How- 
land.  But  the  list  of  subscribers  towards  the 
building  of  the  first  meeting  house  may  be  taken 
as  a  basis  and  it  doubtless  includes  the  active 
church  workers  for  that  period.  The  agreement 
and  list  of  subscribers  follow: 

**  Whereas  we  ye  Subscribers  Being  by  ye 
Providence  of  God  Settled  where  we  Live  Very 
Remote  from  ye  Publict  Worship  &  being  Desir- 
ous to  accomodate  our  Selves  &  Familys  with  ye 
more  convenient  attending  upon  the  Same  Which 


306  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Can  Not  be  Done  without  Bulding  a  Meting 
House  Which  we  promas  to  Do  at  a  Place  called 
Laginham  near  to  ye  Buring  Hill  in  ye  Southerly 
Part  of  Plympton  viz.  on  that  Side  of  the  Buring 
Hill  next  to  Laginham  brook  on  a  Spot  Left  to 
Mr.  Georg  Bonum.  To  apoint  and  to  begin  to 
buld  the  sd  House  when  the  major  part  of  ye  Sub- 
scribers Shall  Agree  upon.  Pursuant  to  sd 
Promis  we  each  of  us  for  our  Selves  Covenant  and 
Promis  to  Give  ye  Severil  sums  herein  Sett  Down 
against  our  names  In  this  list  against  names  In 
this  towards  Bulding  sd  House  that  Is  to  Give 
Two  Thirds  in  Specie  For  Bulding  Sd  House  & 
ye  other  Third  in  money  &  to  pay  in  ye  same  such 
time  that  shall  be  Desired  by  ye  Major  part  of 
ye  Subscribers  &  to  pay  ye  Severil  Sums  unto 
Eichard  Dwely  &  Isaac  Waterman  or  as  they  shall 
order  &  we  do  also  Give  to  our  sd  Trustees  above 

sd  full  Power the  Severil  Sums  Subscribed  & 

Recover  ye  Same  according  as  ye  major  part  of 
ye  Subscribers  Shall  Apoint  &  Agree  upon  for 

ye &  for  ye  True  Perfonnance  of  ye  Promis 

above  sd  we  have  Sett with  the  Severil  Sums 

against  our  names. 

Dated  at  Plympton  October  1731." 

Oeorg  Shaw  Peleg  Barrows 

Jonathan  Shaw,  Jun  Joseph  Pratt,  Jun 

Abel  Crocker  Benajah  Pratt 

Benj.  ChurchiU  Jabez  Eddy,  Jun 

John  Miirdoek,  Esq.  Timothy  Tillson 

John  Witton  ]\Ioses  Eddy 

Isaiah  Witton  ( ?)  Benj.  Wood 


CHURCH   MEIMBERS 


307 


Jabez  Nye 
John  Shurtleff 
Nehemiah  Benett 
Capt.  Hall, 

of  Little  Compton 
Nathaniel  Morton 
Sam'l  Wood 
William  Lucas 
John  Cole 
John  Doten,  Jun 
Jacob  Doten 
Moses  Barrows 
Ebenezer  Bonnm 
John  Murdock 
Ichabod  Shurtleff 
David  Shurtleff 
Samuel  Shurtleff 
Jona'n  Shaw 
Samuel  Barrows 
Benj.  Gurney 
Joseph  Cole 
Benjamin   Cole 
Jabez  Pratt 
Ebenezer  Ransom 
Joseph  Ransom 
Elezer  Jackson 


Moses  Shaw 
John  Robens 
Saml  Jackson 
Jolin  Doten 
Ransom  Jackson 
Thos.  Pratt 
Shubet  Lewes 
Joseph  Lucas 
George  Barrows 
Jonathan  Shaw 
Sam'l  Lucas 
Jabez  Eddy 
Sam'l  Shaw 
Isaac  Waterman 
Benoni  Shaw 
James  Shaw 
Richard  Dwely 
Elisha  Lucas 
John  Shaw 
Nath'l  Atwood 
Barnabas  Shurtleff 
Barnabas  Atwood 
Sam'l  Ransom 
Benj.  Pratt 
Theophilus  Crocker 


MEMBERS    OF   FIRST    CHURCH 
With  date  when  admitted 


1746  John  Howland 
Anne  Bams 

1748  Joseph  Rickard 

1749  Rowland  Hammond 

1750  Richard  Bowman 


1751  Eleazer  Crocker 

1752  George  Barrows 
Abigail  Lucas 

1754  David  Hearvy 
(Pembroke) 


308 


HISTORY    OF    CAEVER 


1754  Elizabeth  Hearvy 

(Pembroke) 
Capt.  Joel  Ellis  (Mid) 

1755  Elizabeth  Wheton 

(Kingston) 
Mrs.  Elizabeth 

Howland 
Rebecca  Cobb 

1757  Lucy  Tillson 
Benjamin  Lucas 

1758  Wid.  Hannah  Fuller 

1759  Lydia  Lucas 
Joanna  Bridgham 

1761  Sarah  Wattis 
Elizabeth  Boardman 

1762  Barnabas  Lucas 
Mary  Hammond 

1763  David  Wood 
Rebecca  Wood 

1764  Jemima  Barrows 
Sabatha  Bennett 
Deliverance  Churchel 

1765  George  Barrow 
Rebecca   Doten 
Jemima  Shurtleff 
Abel  Crocker 

(W.  Barnstable) 
Mary  Crocker 

(W.  Barnstable) 
Issacher  Fuller 

(Kingston) 
Elizabeth  Fuller 

(Kingston) 
Wid.  Elizabeth  Shaw 
1767  Hannah  Perkins 
1769  Eleazer  Robens 


1770  Isaiah  Tillson 
Phebe  Tillson 
Elizabeth  Cole 
Samuel  Cobb 
Daniel  Faunce 
Capt.  Nathaniel  Shaw- 
Isaac  Nye 
Consider  Chase 
Eunice  Chase 

John  Dunham 
Mary  Dunliam 
Ebenezer  Doten 
Mary  Doten 
Lydia  Cobb 
Lucy  Atwood 
Dea.  Thomas  Savery 
Daniel  Vaughan 
Abigail  Vaughan 
Elizabeth  Vaughan 
Joshua  Totman 
Elizabeth  Totman 
Timothy  Cobb 
Deborah  Cobb 
Hannah  Dunham 
Lemuel  Crocker 
Lucy  Shaw 
Ruth  Witon 
Frances  Shurtleff, 

Esq. 
Abigail  Ransom 
Mary  Cobl) 
Priscilla  Robens 
Mary  Shaw 
Lydia  Wood 

1771  Lydia  Lucas 
Deborah  Shaw 


CHURCH   MEIklBERS 


309 


1771  Joseph  Crocker 

1792  Patience  Pratt 

Margaret  Crocker 

Capt.  Abijah  Lucas 

Sarah  Faunce 

1795  Dea.  Isaac  S.  Lucas 

(Weymouth) 

Eleazer  Dunham 

Ruby  Lucas 

Rhoda  Holmes 

Sarah  Barrow 

1796  Capt.  John  Sherman 

1772  Sarah  Murdock 

John  Maxim,  Jr. 

Abigail  Howland 

1773  Lydia  Lucas 

1800  Benjamin  Shurtleff 

John  Lucas 

Benjamin  Ransom 

1774  Elizabeth  Atwood 

Hazadia  Ransom 

1775  Ruth  Wattins  ( ?) 

1801  Abial  Shurtleff 

Thankful  Howland 

(aged  67) 

1777  William  Morse 

Huldah  Vaughan 

Lieut.  Jonathan 

Sarah  Barrow 

Tillson 

1802  Betsey  Cobb 

Abigail  Ripley 

1803  Barnabas  Shurtleff 

1778  Abigail  Lucas 

Lemuel  Cobb 

1780  Benjamin  Cobb 

(to  Plympton) 

Priscilla  Witon 

Polly  Cobb 

Martha  Maxim 

(to  Plympton) 

Hannah  Shaw 

Nathan  Cobb 

Elisha  Lucas 

(to  Bath) 

Rebecca  Lucas 

Nehemiah  Cobb  2nd 

Isaac  Perkins 

(to  Camden,  N.Y.) 

Molly  Perkins 

1806  Jemima  Barrows 

1781  Joshua  Benson 

Mary  Barpows 

Rebecca  Shaw 

(to  Barnstable) 

1783  John  King 

Deborah  Washburn 

1785  Abigail  Crocker 

Jane  Bisbee 

1786  Dea.  Nehemiah  Cobb 

1807  Ebenezer  Doten 

1787  John  Bennett 

Rebecca  Doten 

Keziah  Bennett 

Alvin  Cobb 

1789  Asaph  Churchill 

(to  Taunton) 

Lydia  Shaw 

Mehetable  Cobb 

Martha  Lucas 

(to  Taunton) 

310 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


1807  Hannah  Vaughan 

(to  Taunton) 
James  Vaughan 
Lydia  Vaughan 
Ebenezer  Fuller 
Lieut.  Levi  Vaughan 
Perez  Washburn 
Mary  Bumpus 
Mary  Maxim 
Sophronia  Maxim 
John  Maxim,  Jr. 
Asaph  Washburn 
Mary  Washburn 
Lieut.  Isaiah  Tillson, 

Jr. 
Daniel  Vaughan 
Lewis  Vaughan 
Lothrop  Barrows 
George  Barrows 
Frederick  Cobb 
Lois  Cobb 
Nancy  Faunce 
Rebekah  Ransom 
Hannah  Chase 
Jemima  Washburn 
Sophia  Washburn 
Melissa  Cobb 
Susanna  Vaughan 

1808  Sarah  Atwood 
Azubah  Murdock 
Stephen  Shurtleff 
Lydia  Shurtleff 
Polly  Atwood 
Betsey  Shurtleff 
James  Savery 
Temperance  Perkins 


1809  James  Savery 

1811  Lois  Lucas 

1812  Hannah  Hammond 

1813  Hannah  Doten 
Deborah  Doten 

(to  Plympton) 

1814  Harriet  Robins 
Mary  Lucas 
Eleanor  Lucas 

1815  Wid.  Zillah  Bradford 
1819  Hannah  Waterman 

1821  Sarah  Cobb 
Martha  Cobb 
Thomas  Hammond 

1822  Elizabeth  Donham 
Phebe  Cobb 
Ebenezer  Cobb 

1823  Lucy  Shaw 
Bennett  Cobb 

(Pljrmpton) 
Mary  (his  wife, 

Plympton) 
John  Adams 
Lucy    Cobb     (Fred) 

(Plympton) 
Wid.  Susanna  Cobb 
Ruth  Pratt  (Isaiah) 
Mary  Sherman  (Capt. 

Jabez) 
Deborah  Cobb 

(Nathan) 
Wid.  Sarah  Parker 
Jane  Cole(Hezekiah) 
Lydia  Vaughan 
John  Doten 

1824  Joseph  Vaughan 


CHURCH   MEMBERS 


311 


1824  Samuel  Lucas 
Jemima  Lucas 
Phebe  Vaughan  (Dea. 

Levi) 
Persis  Hammond 

(Thos.) 
Wid.  Persis  Lucas 
Rebecca  Vaughan 
William  Veal 
Lucy  Doten 
Anna  "Winslow  Ham- 
mond 
Joann  Waterman 

(Savery) 
Thomas  Cobb,  Jr. 
Timothy  Cobb 
Thomas  Cobb 
Charles  Cobb 
Jabez  Sherman,  Jr. 
Thomas  Hammond, 

Jr. 
John  Ransom 

(to  Plympton) 
Phebe  Vaughan 

(James  2nd) 
Eunice  Vaughan 

(Brazilla) 
Sarah  Shurtleff 

Vaughan  (Alvan) 
Matilda  Dunham 

(Lucas) 
Sylvia  Cobb  (Chas.) 
Mary  Drew  Cobb 
Persis     Cobb     Ham- 
mond (Reed) 


Mary  Hammond 

(Cobb) 
Polly  Tillson 
Andrew  Sherman 
Henry  Dunham 
John  Chase 
Sylvia  Veal 

(William) 
Patience  Robbins 
Hannah  Nelson 

Crocker 
Israel  Duuham 
Chandler  Robbins 

1828  Joseph  Robbins,  Jr. 
Lucy  Sherman 

(Rufus) 

1829  Abigail  Robbins 

1830  Louisa  L.   B.   Chase 

(Rev.  P.) 
Rebecca  Robbins,  Jr. 
Jemima  Lucas 
Hannah  Lucas 
]\Iary  A.  Fuller 
Hannah  Shurtleff 
1831?Mercy  Sherman 
Betsey  Tillson 
Mercy  Bisbee 

1831  Asa  Humphrey 

(Weymouth) 
AUen  Pratt 
Isaac  Vaughan 
Levi  Ransom 
Thomas  Tillson 
Phebe  Ransom 
Waitstill  Vaughan 
Hannah  Cobb 


312 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


1831  Eunice  Vaughan 
Lucy  Dunham 
Lydia  Crocker 
Stephen  Shurtleff 
Sarah  B.  Washburn 
Jemima     D,     "Wash- 
burn 

Mrs.  Mary  W.  Gibbs 
Phebe  Shurtleff 
Lydia  A.  Shurtleff 
Ezra  Lucas 

(3d  Plymouth) 
Anna  Lucas 

(3d  Plymouth) 

1832  Mary  Ann  Stetson 
Joseph  Sherman 
Consider  Robbins 

(to  Middleboro) 
Asel  Cole 
"Winslow  Pratt 
Priscilla  Pratt 
Lucy  Shurtleff 
Ichabod  Sampson 
Hannah  ]\Iorse 

(Sampson) 
Lydia  Shaw 

(Hammond) 

1833  Rebecca  Shaw 
"Wilson  Shaw 
Otis  Cobb 
JMercy  Cobb 
Ephraim  Harlow 
Hannah  Harlow 
Rufus  Sherman 
Alvan  Vaughan 

1834  Benjamin  Ransom 


Lucy  Ransom 
Levi  Sherman 
Lydia  Sherman 
William  Hammond 
Calista  Sherman 

(Andrew) 
Ruth  Chandler 

(Zebadee) 

1840  Barnibus  Ellis 

(to  Plymouth) 
Ruth  Morse 

1841  Benjamin  Chase 
Keziah  Chase 
James  B.  Tillson 
Anne  Maria  F. 

Tillson 
Betsey  W.  Sherman 
Lucinda  Cobb 
Deborah  Barrows 
Charles  A.  King 

(to  Abington) 
Ruel  Atwood 
James  Waterman 
Lydia  Sherman 
Nehemiah  C. 

Hammond 
George  W.  Hammond 

(to  Chelsea) 
Ezra  Lucas 
Wilson  Barrows 
Mercy  Barrows 
Louisa  Barrows 
Job  C.  Chandler 
Nancy  S.  Chandler 
Alvin  C.  Harlow 
Deborah  Aplin 


MRS.  PEISCILLA  JANE  BAKROWS 


CHURCH   MEMBERS 


313 


1841  Job  Morton 
Polly  Vaughan 
Jerusha  C.  Cusnman 
Samuel  Vergin 
Melissa  C.  Vergin 
Stillman  Ward 
Mary  B.  Ward 
Warren  Lucas 
Charlotte  Lucas 
Sally  B.  Pratt 
Elizabeth  Barrows 

1842  Jane  E.  Cobb 

(to  Fall  River) 
1844  Thomas  Cushman 
Pheby  Vaughan 
Cordelia  F.  Harlow 
Anne  W.  Shaw 

(to  Abington) 
1846  Hannah  Fuller 

(Ebenezer) 
Amanda     Waterman 

(James) 
Dea.  John  Freeman 
Polly     C.     Freeman 

(Dea.  John) 

1850  Phebe  D.  Waterman 

1851  Phebe  A.  Sherman 
Hannah  B.  Pratt 

(to  Middleboro) 
1853  Ebenezer  Fuller,  Jr. 
Rosette  B.  Harlow 


Deborah  Cole 
Charles  H.  Chase 
Laura  Ann  Cole 
Mary  T.  Cobb 
Almira  H.  Cobb 
Mary  T.  Savery 
Maryett  Sherman 
Juliet  W.  Cobo 
1855  William  W.  Atwood 
Lydia  M.  Hammond 
Solon  Cobb 
Ralph  Copeland 
Nancy  Copeland 

1857  Fanny  D,  Barrows 

1858  Wid.  Mary  Thomas 
Mary  M.  Eames 
Mrs.  Louisa  Bent 

1859  Miss  Hannah 

Waterman 
Mrs.  Nancy  Bump 
Rev.  William  C. 

Whitcomb 
]\Irs.  Hannah  L. 

Whitcomb 
Sara  L.  Wheeler 

1860  Ezra  Vaughan 
Abby  F.  Barrows 
Rev.  Jonathan  King 

(Abington) 
Mrs.  Sarah  F.  King 
(Abington) 


314 


HISTORY    OF    CAEVER 


CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH 

Members  who  have  joined  since  1860 


Annie  S.  Atwood 
Susan  B.  Atwood 
Mary  H.  Barrows 
Edward  G.  Bradford 
Lois  A.  Bradford 
Mary  P.  Bryant 
Marion  C.  Brett 
Rufus  J.  Brett 
William  L.  Brett 
Lucy  A.  Chandler 
Nancy  B.  Chandler 
William  F.  Chandler 
Nellie  Chase 
Rev.  Solon  Cobb 
Theron  M.  Cole 
Laura  Coombs 
Charles  F.  Cornell 
Hannah  H.  Dunham 
Harriet  A.  Dunham 
Andrew  R.  Fames 
Flora  I.  Eames 
Luther  Eames 
Mabel  H.  Eames 
Eliza  Faunee 
Charles  A.  Forbes 
Dorothy  C.  Forbes 
Jennie  A.  Forbes 
Rev.  Washington  H. 

Forbes 
Adeline  Gardner 
Edgar  E.  Gardner 
William  Hammond 
Fulmer  A.  Higgins 


Josephine  A.  James 
Hattie  W.  King 
Lizzie  C.  King 
Amelia  A.  Lincoln 
Rev.  Nehemiah  Lincoln 
William  W.  Livingston 
Emma  Lucas 
Helen  F.  McKay 
Cephas  Morse 
Mary  A.  Morse 
Phebe  M.  j\Iorse 
Susannah  IMorse 
John  C.  Owers 
Elmer  B.  Perkins 
Jonathan  B.  Perkins 
Olive  Perkins 
Anna  L.  Pink 
Leonard  S.  Powers 
Lydia  C.  Powers 
Nancy  Pratt 
Hiram  L.  Rickard 
Lucy  W.  Rickard 
Christy  L.  Riggs 
Rev.  Ezra  J.  Riggs 
Ida  L.  Riggs 
Annie  H.  Robbins 
Benjamin  W.  Robbins 
Ethel  V.  Robbins 
Evelyn  F.  Robbins 
Jane  E.  Robbins 
John  S.  Robbins 
Lizzie  A.  Robbins 
Lloyd  C.  Robbins 


CHURCH   MEIVIBERS 


315 


Maurice  F.  Robbins 
Susie  A.  Robbins 
William  S.  Savery 
Charles  S.  Shaw 
Charles  A.  Sherman 
Hannah  C.  Sherman 
Hannah  M.  Sherman 
Maria  C.  Sherman 
Nellie  W.  Sherman 
Sarah  A.  Sherman 
Addie  A.  Shurtleff 
Eliza  G.  Shurtleff 
Lizzie  G.  Shurtleff 
Mieah  G.  Shurtleff 


William  Shurtleff 
Lottie  W.  C.  Stetson 
Rev.  Oscar  F.  Stetson 
James  Tillson 
William  Tillson 
Ann  Janette  Ward 
Clara  E.  Ward 
Fred  A.  Ward 
Emma  G.  Washburn 
Joseph  H.  Washburn 
Leah  M.  Whitehead 
Alraeda  E.  Winter 
Cynthia  ]\L  Wrightington 
Henry  Wrightington 


BAPTIST    SOCIETY 

The  following,  in  addition  to  those  otherwise  named, 
were  connected  with  the  Baptist  Society  previous  to 
1854;  dismissals  and  exclusions  not  being  considered. 


Seth  Ames 
Abigail  C.  At  wood 
Betsey  Atwood 
Ebenezer  Atwood 
Lydia  Lucas  Atwood 
Lydia  Atwood 
Margaret  Atwood 
Mary  Atwood 
Mary  A.  Atwood 
Molly  Atwood 
Nathaniel  Atwood 
Patience  Atwood 
Peggy  Atwood 
Salmon  Atwood 
Sarah  L.  Atwood 


Waity  Atwood 
Waitstill  M.  Atwood 
Fanny  Barrows 
Phebe  Barrows 
Ruth  Barrows 
Seth  Barrows 
Asa  Benson 
Betsey  Benson 
Constant  Benson 
Deborah  Benson 
Drucilla  Ward  Benson 
Ebenezer  Benson 
Elisabeth  Benson 
John  Benson 
John  Benson,  Jr. 


316 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


Patience  Benson 
Rebecca  Benson 
Ebenezer  Blossom 
David  Bursell 
Elisabeth  Bursell 
Chloe  Hooks  Bumpus 
Abigail  Bryant 
Jean  Bryant 
Thomas  Bradford 
Peter  Bosworth 
Sarah  Bosworth 
Philip  Chamberlain 
Dinah  Churchill 
Lydia  Cobb 
Mary  Cole 
Perez  L.  Cushing 
Huldah  Doten 
Sarah  Doten 
John  Douglass 
Lydia  Douglass 
Barnabas  M.  Dunham 
Benjamin  Dunham 
Betsey  Dunham 
Ebenezer  Dunham 
Ephraim  Dunham 
Ichabod  Dunham 
Lydia  Dunham 
Mary  Dunham 
Mary  Q.  Dunham 
Joseph  Dunham 
Priscilla  Dunham 
Rebecca  Dunham 
Susanna  Dunham 
Samuel  Dunham 
Alden  Faunce 
Daniel  Faunce 


Ruth  Faunce 
Jairus  Gammons 
Mary  Gammons 
Rainah  Grady 
Mary  Griffith 
Eliza  A.  Hall 
Anne  Hart 
Sophe  Hart 
Swanzea  Hart 
Rowland  Hammond 
Benjamin  Harlow 
Benjamin  Harlow,  2nd 
Lavinia  Harlow 
Lydia  D.  Harlow 
Noah  Haskell 
John  B.  Hatch 
Charity  Holmes 
Church  Holmes 
Nathaniel  Hooks 
William  Irwin 
Miriam  Keith 
Caleb  King 
Nathaniel  King 
Abigail  LeBaron 
Lazarus  LeBaron 
Mary  LeBaron 
Sarah  LeBaron 
Temperance  LeBaron 
Abigail  Lucas 
Bethia  Lucas 
Ebenezer  S.  Lucas 
Eleanor  Lucas 
Eliza  H.  Lucas 
Hannah  S.  Lucas 
Harvey  Lucas 
Horatio  A.  Lucas 


CHURCH   MEMBERS 


317 


Martin  L.  Lucas 

Mary  Lucas 

Mary  S.  Lucas 

Ruth  Lucas 

Salla  Lucas 

Zillah  Lucas 

Alden  Manter 

Pardon  Manter 

Polly  Manter 

Elisha  Morton 

Elisabeth  Morton 

Lucy  Moss 

Theodore  Moss 

Abijah  Muxham  or  Maxim 

Basheba  Muxham  or 

Maxim 
Caleb  Muxham  or  Maxim 
Joseph  Muxham  or  Maxim 
Lydia  Muxham  or  Maxim 
Mehitable  Muxham  or 

Maxim 
Patience  Muxham  or 

Maxim 
Phebe  Muxham  or  Maxim 
Elisabeth  J.  NichoUs 
James  C.  NichoUs 
John  B.  Panis 
Susan  Panis 
Anna  Parsons 
James  Parsons 
Alvin  Perkins 
Elisabeth  Perkins 
Priscilla  (Dunham) 

Perkins 
Ignatius  Pierce 
Jesse  Pierce 


Joseph  Pierce 
Keziah  Pierce 
Betsey  T.  Pratt 
Noah  Pratt 
Tillson  Pratt 
Benjamin  Ransom 
Willis  Ransom 
Abigail  Robbins 
Consider  Robbins 
Joseph  Robbins 
Patience  Robbins 
Priscilla  Robbins 
Elisabeth  Sears 
Hannah  Sears 
Joseph  Sears 
Lucetta  Sears 
Ruby  Sears 
Abigail  Shaw 
Adeline  B.  Shaw 
Jacob  Shaw 
Hannah  Shaw 
Hannah  Shaw,  2nd 
Harrison  Shaw 
Lydia  Shaw 
Molly  Shaw 
Nathaniel  Shaw 
Albert  Shurtleff 
Benjamin  Shurtleff 
Dr.  Benjamin  Shurtleff 
Deborah  Shurtleff 
Deborah  Shurtleff,  2nd 
Ebenezer  Shurtleff 
Elisabeth  Shurtleff 
Levi  Shurtleff 
Lot  Shurtleff 
Lucy  T.  Shurtleff 


318 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


Lydia  Shurtleff 
Marcy  Shurtleff 
Martha  Shurtleff 
Mary  Shurtleff 
Mary  Shurtleff,  2nd 
Priscilla  Shurtleff 
Rhoda  Shurtleff 
Ruth  Shurtleff 
Ruth  B.  Shurtleff 
William  Shurtleff 
Mary  A.  Soule 
Jonathan  Stetson 
Arad  Thomas 
Foxwell  Thomas 
Martha  Thomas 
Moses  Thomas 
Susan  Thomas 
Hazadiah  Vail 
Hannah  Vail 
David  Vaughan 


Huldah  Vaughan 
Olive  S.  Washburn 
Mary  Jane  Watson 
Robert  Watson 
Benjamin  Ward 
Eliab  Ward 
Molly  Ward 
Priscilla  Ward 
Sally  Ward 
Dinah  Wood 
Agatha  Wright 
Caleb  Wright 
James  Wright 
Mercy  Wright 
Molly  Wright 
]\Ioses  Wright 
Winslow  Wright 
Benjamin  Wrightington 
David  Wrightington 


BAPTIST    SOCIETY 
A  list  of  those  who  have  joined  since  1856 


George  Adams 
Lillian  M.  Atwood 
P.  Jane  Barrows 
George  E.  Blair 
Thomas  E.  Blanding 
Augustus  Boucher 
Sarah  E.  Bumpus 
Barnard  0.  Burbank 
Esther  A.  Burbank 
C.  Frank  Case 
Mabel  S.  Cassidy 


Abbie  E.  Cole 
Orinna  C.  Covill 
Anson  F.  Cornish 
Bernice  E.  Cornish 
Blanche  E.  Cornish 
Ellis  G.  Cornish 
Ellis  H.  Cornish,  M.  D. 
Gertrude  E.  Cornish 
Irene  A.  Cornish 
Mary  A.  Cornish 
Nancy  L.  Cornish 


CHURCH   MEMBERS 


319 


Paul  D.  Cornish 
Virginia  H.  Cornish 
William  E.  Cornish 
Ada  L.  Dimond 
Ira  C.  Dimond 
Maria  W.  Dimond 
Lottie  Dowset 
Annie  Ellison 
Joseph  Ellison 
Minnie  D.  Ford 
Lizzie  Gammons 
Katherine  Goetz 
Betsey  J.  Gonsalves 
Betsey  N.  Gould 
Samuel  W,  Gould 
A,  Davis  Graffam 
Annie  F.  Graffam 
James  M.  Jefferson 
Abbie  A.  Johnson 
Abby  Leach 
Albert  Leach 
L.  Georgie  Leaming 
Marion  W.  Lewis 
Jennie  M.  Lincoln 
George  E.  Lockliart 
George  H.  Lockliart 
Lorena  Lockhart 
Herbert  Lockhart 
Margaret  Lockhart 
Wilfred  B.  Loring 
E.  Allen  Lucas 
Eleanor  Lucas 
Eleanor  Lucas 
Henry  E.  Lucas 
Helen  Lucas 
Lot  S.  Lucas 


Maria  E.  Lucas 
Mary  R.  Lucas 
Mabel  McFarlin 
Cordelia  Metcalf 
Lillian  F.  Moranville 
Russell  T.  Morse 
Ann  E.  Nye 
Lucy  Nye 
Joshua  F.  Packard 
Susie  D.  Packard 
Abbie  F.  Pearson 
Abbie  J.  Peckham 
Annie  G.  Peckham 
Annie  H.  Peckham 
Henry  M.  Peckliam 
Mabel  I.  Peckham 
Alma  M.  Pratt 
Adelbert  P.  Robbins 
Grace  I.  Robbins 
Mary  E.  Robbins 
Rebecca  L.  Robbins 
Rosina  F,  Robbins 
Susan  Robbins 
Eugene  E.  Shaw 
E.  Watson  Shaw 
Mary  Shaw 
Mary  A.  Shaw 
Cordelia  F.  Shurtleff 
Benjamin  L.  Shurtleff 
Eliza  B.  Shurtleff 
Geneva  E.  Shurtleff 
Lula  Shurtleff 
Oliver  L.  Shurtleff 
Perez  T.  Shurtleff 
Lizzie  Swan 
Minnie  D.  Swan 


320 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


Ponsonby  M.  Swan 
Estella  M.  Sweezey 
James  J.  Tobey 
Mary  A.  Tobey 
Mary  E.  Thomas 
Bertha  F.  Vaughan 
Christina  C.  Vaughan 
Desire  A.  Vaughan 
Edwin  A.  Vaughan 
James  A.  Vaughan 


Blanche  E.  Vinal 
Cora  E.  Vinal 
Mrs.  E.  Vinal 
H.  Y.  Vinal 
Simeon  L.  Whidden 
Eva  L.  White 
George  E.  White 
Helen  E.  White 
Lillian  F.  Wood 


METHODIST     CHURCH 
Members  under  its  different  forms 


Reformed  Methodist 


Mary  Atwood* 
Sumner  Atwood  * 
Alice  Bumpus 
Edward  P.  Bumpus 
Sullivan  Gammons 
Patience  Maxim 
Susan  A.  Maxim* 


Thomas  Maxim* 
Thomas  Maxim,  Jr.* 
Anna  Ryder* 
Charles  Ryder 
Ichabod  Shurtleff* 
Sylvia  Shurtleff* 


Methodist 
Lucinda  Andrews* 
Clio  Atwood* 
Harriet  Atwood 

(McFarlin)* 
Joanna  Atwood 
Levi  Atwood 
Lydia  Atwood* 
Rebecca  Atwood 


Protestant 
Shadrach  F.  Atwood* 
Fidelia  Harlow  (Bates)' 
]\Iargaret  Bates* 
James  H.  Bosworth 
Susan  Bosworth 
Betsey  Bumpus* 
Daniel  Bumpus 
Daniel  Bumpus,  Jr. 


*  Transferred  to  M.  E.  Church  Aug.  9,  1867. 


ELLIS  n.  COKJXISII,  M.  U. 


CHURCH   MEMBERS 


321 


Daniel  Bumpus,  2nd 
Dorcas  Bumpus 
Edward  Bumpus 
Edmund  P.  Bumpus 
Marcus  Bumpus 
Moses  Bumpus 
Silas  G.  Bumpus 
Susan  Bumpus 
Matthew  H.  Cushing 
Polly  Cushing 
Susannah  Cushman 
Ebenezer  Dunham* 
Elisha  M.  Dunham* 
Ruth  P.  Dunham* 
l\Iary  Ellis 
Abigail  Hathaway 
Galen  Humphrey 
Benjamin  Jefferson* 
Aaron  B.  Knott 
Sally  Knott 
Barney  Lucas 
Susan  Look 
Almira  Maxim* 
Ansel  B.  Maxim 
Elisabeth  Maxim 
Ellis  Maxim 
Huldah  McFarlin* 


Jason  B.  McFarlin* 
John  Murray  ]\Iaxim 
Joseph  T.  McFarlin* 
Mary  Maxim 
Patience  Maxim 
Rebecca  McFarlin* 
Sarah  Maxim* 
Seth  S.  Maxim* 
Watson  T.  Maxim* 
William  S.  McFarlin" 
Wilson  McFarlin 
Clara  Nixon* 
lehabod  Shurtleff,  2nd 
Lucy  Shurtleff 
Luther  Shurtleff 
Martha  Shurtleff 
Mercy  Shurtleff 
Cintia  Tillson 
Joanna  Tillson 
Louisa  Tillson 
Rebecca  Tillson* 
Henry  C.  Washburn* 
Joanna  Washburn 
Louisa  Washburn* 
Marshall  Washburn 
Ephraim  C.  Westgate 
Benjamin  Wrightington 


Methodist  Episcopal  Church 


Ida  F.  Andrews 
Sarah  F.  Andrews 
Z.  W,  Andrews 
Abbie  F.  Atwood 


Angle  F.  Atwood 
Charles  H.  Atwood 
Eliza  A.  Atwood 
Emma  Atwood 


*  Transferred  to  M.  E.  Church  Aug.  9,  1867. 


322 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


Flora  Atwood 
Frances  N,  Atwood 
George  W.  Atwood 
Gilbert  W.  Atwood 
Grace  D.  Atwood 
Ida  F.  Atwood 
Josephine  Atwood 
Lottie  Atwood 
Lucy  Atwood 
Mabel  L.  Atwood 
Mercy  J.  Atwood 
Susan  Atwood 
Carrie  E.  Babcock 
Grace  L.  Babcock 
Benoni  T.  Baker 
Charles  E.  Baker 
Edward  E.  Baker 
Everett  B.  Baker 
Lillian  V,  Baker 
Minnie  M.  Baker 
Irene  Bates 
Martha  A.  Bates 
Henrietta  Besse 
Fannie  S.  Blanding 
Jennie  Burgess 
Ella  Bumpus 
Mrs.  H.  W.  Bumpus 
Lucy  H.  Bumpus 
Martha  Bumpus 
Moses  Bumpus 
Martha  Douglass 
Nancy  Douglass 
Ebenezer  Dunham,  Jr. 
Irving  Dunham 
Julia  A.  Dunham 
Mary  Dunham 


Silvester  Dunlap 
Nancy  C.  Fish 
Dora  F.  Gammons 
Henry  H.  Gammons 
Llinnie  Garvin 
Benjamin  F.  Harlow 
Lydia  D.  Harlow 
Herbert  H.  Hayden 
Rosa  C.  Hayden 
Sophronia  Hobill 
Patience  Howard 
James  S.  Hudson 
Julia  Hudson 
Emily  F.  Hunt 
William  Hurd 
Carrie  Jefferson 
]\Iadison  Jefferson 
Ellen  Long 
Gustavus  H.  Long 
Susie  Lavender 
Hattie  Manter 
Sylvia  E.  Manter 
Sarah  Maxim 
Susan  Maxim 
Alberta  M.  McFarlin 
Cora  McFarlin 
Elvira  S.  McFarlin 
John  B.  McFarlin 
IMartha  IMcFarlin 
Medella  McFarlin 
Susan  A.  IMcFarlin 
Veretta  IMcFarlin 
Nellie  A.  Miller 
William  Miller 
John  P.  iMorse 
Clara  Nixon 


CHURCH   MEIVIBERS 


323 


Sophia  Penno 
Charles  C.  Perkins 
Flora  Perkins 
Grace  Perkins 
Rosa  Ryder 
Ella  A.  Sears 
Orrin  B.  Sears 
Adaleita  Shaw 
Melora  Shaw 
Charles  L.  Sherman 
Mary  E.  Sherman 
Chloe  SlmrtlefE 
Ichabod  S.  Shurtleff 
Lizzie  L.  Smith 
Emma  H.  Souther 
Mary  Stanly 
W.  Frank  Stanly 


Henry  Storms 
Adeline  M.  Tabor 
Augusta  C.  Thomas 
Herbert  I.  Thomas 
Mary  Thomas 
Thompson  P.  Thomas 
Mary  E.  Washburn 
Nathan  H.  Washburn 
Samuel  D.  Washburn 
Sarah  W.  Washburn 
Virginia  H.  Washburn 
George  H.  Westgate 
Charles  Weddling 
Hilma  Williams 
Mary  A.  Williams 
Hattie  T.  Wright 


UNION   SOCIETY 


Frederick  Anderson 
Albert  F.  Atwood 
Delia  Atwood 
Isette  G.  Atwood 
Josiah  W.  Atwood 
Lucius  Atwood 
Marcus  Atwood 
Stephen  D.  Atwood 
Susan  F.  Mwood 
Laura  A.  Austin 
Hugh  R.  Bailey 
]\Iary  Bailey 
Eleanor  Barrows 
Elizabeth  J.  Barrows 
Ellen  B.  Barrows 
Olive  M.  Barrows 


Thomas  B.  Barrows 
William  N.  Barrows 
John  L.  Benson 
Kate  A.  Benson 
Irene  A.  Bent 
John  Bent 
Eliza  A.  Bowers 
J.  Myrick  Bump 
Laura  H.  Bump 
Lucinda  Bump 
A.  Freeman  Cornish 
Wilhelmina  L.  Cornish 
Gamaliel  Gushing 
Betsey  B.  Gibbs 
Thomas  Gibbs 
Thomas  F.  Gibbs 


324 


HISTORY     OF     CARVER 


Sadie  F.  Gibbs 
Alonzo  D.  Griffith 
Henry  S.  Griffith 
Helen  A.  Griffith 
Orville  K.  Griffith 
Mabel  Griffith 
Martha  M.  Griffith 
Hannah  C.  Hawkes 
Harry  O.  Hawkes 
Donald  Barrows  Ingham 
Katherine  Barrows 

Ingham 
"Walter  T.  Jefferson 
Mary  P.  S.  Jowitt 
George  E.  Macllwain 
Donald  McFarlin 
Anne  R.  McFarlin 
Eldoretta  T.  McFarlin 
Helena  McFarlin 
Isadore  L.  McFarlin 
Sarah  F.  McFarlin 
Veretta  McFarlin 
Rose  Morris 
E.  Herman  IMurdock 
Susan  A.  Murdock 
Hannah  P.  Richards 


Rufus  L.  Richards 
Lawrence  M.  Rogers 
Mary  C.  Rogers 
James  J.  Ryan 
Anna  B.  Savery 
Ethel  Savery 
Harriet  D.  Savery 
S.  Louise  Savery 
Alfred  M.  Shaw 
Alice  G.  Shaw 
John  F.  Shaw 
Nancy  A.  Shaw 
Lulu  Shurtleff 
Lucy  A.  Southworth 
Thomas  ]\I.  Southworth 
Lester  W.  Swift 
Nehemiah  G.  Swift 
Sarah  J.  Swift 
Chester  F.  Tillson 
Deborah  Tillson 
Reba  B.  Tillson 
Wilfred  A.  Tillson 
George  W.  Van  Schaack 
Daisy  Vaughan 
Elva  H.  Washburn 
Harriet  D.  Winberg 


ADVENT  SOCIETY 

Those  who  joined  in  1870 

Elial  Benson  Sarah  A.  Hammond 

Harriett  Benson  Abigail  S.  Hatch 

James  Breach  John  B.  Hatch 

Lucy  Chase  Lucy  P.  Hathaway 

Sally  T.  Dunham  William  E.  Hathaway 

Betsey  S.  Hammond  I.  I.  Leslie 


CHURCH   MEMBERS 


325 


John  Maxim 

Lucinda  E.  Morse 

Winslow  Pratt 

Levi  Ransom 

Louisa  Ransom 

Lucy  Ransom 

Nathaniel  M.  Ransom,  M.D. 

Atwood  Shaw 


Chloe  S.  Shaw 
Mary  A.  Shaw 
Lydia  D.  Sherman 
Eunice  Vaughan 
Waitstill  Vaughan 
W.  E.  H.  Vaughan 
Abby  W.  Wade 


Those  who 

Sally  Benson 
Franeelia  F.  Boynton 
J.  R.  Boynton 
Solon  R.  Boynton 
W.  Otis  Boynton 
William  Breach 
George  Burnham 
John  A.  Coad 
Nancy  L.  Cornish 
Jesse  P.  Douglass 
Maria  F.  Douglass 
Almira  C.  Dowsett 
Harriett  A.  Dunham 
Luella  Dunham 
Ruth  Dunham 
Rose  Garnett 
Burt  J.  Glazier 
Elmer  D.  Glazier 
I.  Christine  Glazier 
Lettie  L.  Glazier 
Benjamin  Hammond 
Julia  F.  Hammond 
Anna  G.  Hatch 
Sarah  F.  King 
Emma  L.  Lewis 
Katy  H.  Lewis 


have  joined  since  1870 

Mary  Eva  Lewis 
Anna  R.  Loveland 
Samuel  ]\IcHenry 
Emma  F.  Merritt 
George  F.  IMorse,  M.  D. 
Daniel  W.  Nash 
George  Newhall 
Jesse  M.  Northern 
Lydia  F.  Northern 
Arthur  C.  Perkins 
Elmer  B.  Perkins 
Catherine  L.  Pratt 
Sarah  L.  Ransom 
Polly  Reed 
Rebecca  L.  Robbins 
Lorenzo  N.  Shaw 
Percy  W.  Shurtleff 
Austin  N,  Vaughan 
Charles  E.  Vaughan 
J.  Erville  Vaughan 
Julia  F.  Vaughan 
Minnie  ]\I.  Vaughan 
Webster  E.  C.  Vaughan 
William  E.  W.  Vaughan 
Esther  A.  Wade 
Henry  W.  Wade 


326  HISTORY    OF    CAEVER 

STATE    AND    COUNTY   OFFICERS 

A  list  of  those  who  have  served  in  a  state  or  county 
office  since  the  Town  was  incorporated. 

In  the  Governor's  Council 
Hon.  Jesse  Murdock  1847,  48 

In  Constitutional  Conventions 
Benjamin  Ellis  1820 

Joseph  Barrows  1853 

County  Commissioner 
Thomas  Southworth  1858—60 

State  Senate 

Hon.  Benjamin  Ellis  1825,  32 

Hon.  Jesse  Murdock  1844,  45 

Hon.  Matthias  Ellis  1854 

Hon.  Peleg  McFarlin  1882—84 

Bepresentatives  i7i  General  Court 
Frances  Shurtleff  1791,  1802 

Capt.  Nathaniel  Sherman  1800 

Capt.  William  Atwood  1806 

Benjamin  Ellis       1810—12,  16,  20,  21,  29,  30 


John  Savery 

1827,  28,  42,  47 

Lewis  Pratt 

1831 

Thomas  Cobb 

1832 

Benjamin  Ransom 

1833 

Jesse  Murdock 

1834—37,  47 

Joseph  Barrows 

1838,  39 

Timothy  Cobb 

1840,  48 

Henry  Sherman 

1842 

William  S.  Savery 

1844 

Matthias  Ellis 

1850,  51 

TOWN   OFFICERS  327 

Capt.  Benjamin  Ransom  1852 
George  P.  Bowers                                  '        1854 

James  B.  Tillson  1855 

Rufus  C.  Freeman  1858 

Ralph  Copeland  1860 

Elisha  M.  Dunham  1866 

Thomas  B.  Griffith  1869 

Horatio  A.  Lucas  1873 

William  Savery  1879 

Peleg  McFarlin  1881 

Benjamin  W.  Robbins  1882 

Gustavus  Atwood  1896 

Eugene  E.  Shaw  1908 


328  HISTORY    OF     CARVER 

TOWN  OFFICEES 
TOWN    CLERKS 


Nehemiah  Cobb 

1790 

Samuel  Lucas,  3d 

1791 

Samuel  Lucas,  Jr. 

1792 

Nehemiah  Cobb 

1793—98 

Barnabas  Cobb 

1799—1801 

Ephraim  Pratt 

1802—10 

Stephen  Shurtleff 

1811—13 

Samuel  Shaw 

1814—27 

Dr.  Samuel  Shaw 

1828 

Samuel  Shaw 

1829 

Isaac  Vaughan 

1829 

Isaac  Vaughan 

1830—36 

Isaac  Vaughan 

1837 

John  Savery 

1837 

Isaac  Vaughan 

1838—41 

David  Pratt 

1842—45 

Thomas  Vaughan 

1846—58 

Ansel  B.  Maxim 

1859—63 

Ansel  B.  Maxim 

1864 

Thomas  Vaughan 

1864 

Thomas  M.  Southworth 

1865,  66 

William  Hammond 

1867—69 

Nelson  Barrows 

1870,  71 

Peleg  McFarlin 

1872—78 

Albert  T.  Shurtleff 

1879—92 

Henry  S.  Griffith 

1893— 

TOWN    TREASURERS 

Frances  Shurtleff 

1790—93 

Frances  Shurtleff 

1794 

Lothrop  Shurtleff 

1794 

Samuel  Lucas 

1794 

TOWN   OFFICERS 


329 


Samuel  Lucas 

1795—1801 

Benjamin  Shurtleff 

1802,  03 

Samuel  Lucas 

1804—09 

Thomas  Hammond 

1810 

Lieut.  Samuel  Shaw 

1811,  12 

Samuel  Shaw 

1813 

Lewis  Vaughan 

1814 

Jonathan  Atwood 

1815 

Thomas  Hammond 

1816—24 

Ira  Murdock 

1825 

Thomas  Hammond 

1826 

Jonathan  Atwood 

1826 

Jonathan  Atwood 

1827,  28 

Isaac  Vaughan 

1829—33 

Jonathan  Atwood 

1834,  35 

Huit  McFarlin 

1836—41 

David  Pratt 

1842—51 

Isaac  Vaughan 

1852 

John  Bent 

1853     61 

Thomas  Cobb 

1862—82 

Andrew  Griffith 

1883—91 

Andrew  Griffith 

1892 

James  A.  Vaughan 

1892 

James  A.  Vaughan 

1893—1904 

Henry  S.  Griffith 

1905— 

TAX    COLLECTORS 

Jonathan  Tillson,  Caleb  Atwood 

1790 

Jonathan  Tillson,  Consider  Chase 

1791 

Consider  Chase,  Abial  Shurtleff 

1792 

Benjamin  Cobb,  Perez  Washburn 

1793 

Nathaniel  Atwood,  Jr.,  Consider  Chase       1794 

Nathaniel  Vaughan,  Consider  Chase           1795 

Consider  Chase,  Nathaniel  Atwood 

[      1796,  97 

Ebenezer  Doten,  Consider  Chase 

1798 

330  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 

Ebenezer  Doten  1799 

Lieut.  Gideon  Shurtleff,  Consider  Chase  1800 

Ebenezer  Doten,  Levi  Chase  1801 
Ebenezer  Doten                                        1802—07 

Nehemiah  Cobb,  Seth  Barrows  1808 

Lieut.  Isaiah  Tillson,  Asaph  Washburn  1809 

Barnabas  Shurtleff,  Nathaniel  Atwood  1810 

Levi  Vaughan,  Nathaniel  Atwood  1811 

Stephen  Shurtleff  1812 

Jabez  Maxim  1813 

Hezekiah  Cole,  Capt.  Elisha  Murdock  1814 

Hezekiah  Cole,  Lieut.  Luke  Perkins  1815 

Capt.  Elisha  Murdock  1816 

John  Sherman,  Nathaniel  Atwood  1817 

Levi  Vaughan,  Samuel  Shaw  1818 

Joseph  Robbins  1819 

Hezekiah  Cole,  Jacob  T.  Perkins  1820 

Capt.  Gideon  Shurtleff  1821 

Jesse  Murdock  1822 

Ephraim  Harlow,  Ebenezer  Dunham  1823 
Samuel  Shaw                                            1824,  25 

Ephraim  Harlow,  Elisha  Murdock  1826 

Hezekiah  Cole,  Barnabas  M.  Dunham  1827 
The  Treasurer                                     1828—1912 

SELECTMEN 

Those  who  have  served   on  the  Board  of  Selectmen, 
mth  years  of  service 
Asaph  Atwood  1818—22 

Ensign  Caleb  Atwood  1809 

Gustavus  Atwood  1879 — 81 

Jonathan  Atwood  1816,  17,  29,  30 

S.  Dexter  Atwood  1907—10 

Capt.  William  Atwood  1790—92,  97,  1803,  04 
Charles  Barrows  1841 — 14 


TOWN   OFFICERS  331 

Joseph  Barrows 

1829,  30,  35—37,  45,  46,  52—54,  63 

William  Barrows  1834,  35,  46 

John  Bent  1835,  36 
Fred  Cobb                   1852—54,  65—69,  79—81 

Nehemiah  Cobb  1799,  1800 

Thomas  Cobb  1817,  19,  20—27 

Thomas  Cobb  1851 

Timothy  Cobb             1836,  37,  40—42,  47—50 

Elmer  B.  Cole  1888 

Hezekiah  Cole  1812—15.  18 

Ellis  G.  Cornish  1911—13 

Capt.  Cornelius  Dunham  1810,  11 

Benjamin  Ellis  1806,  07,  12 

Seth  C.  C.  Finney    1886,  87,  98—1905,  12,  13 

Andrew  Griffith  1864—79,  82—92 

Thomas  B.  Griffith  1860—62 

Thomas  Hammond  1806,  07 

Thomas  Hammond  1838.  39 

John  A.  Kenney  1906.  07 

Capt.  Abijah  Lucas  1799—1809 

Eben  S.  Lucas  1870,  71 

Horatio  A.  Lucas  1855,  61.  72—81 

Samuel  Lucas,  Jr.  1790,  93.  96,  98 

Huit  McFarlin  1820.  21 

Bartlett  Murdock,  Jr.  1793,  94 

Bartlett  Murdock  1816 

Capt.  Elisha  Murdock  1805 

Jesse  Murdock  1813—15,  18,  19 

Alvin  Perkins  1859—64,  68—74 

Stewart  H.  Pink  1908 

David  Pratt  1831—34 

Lewis  Pratt  1827—29 

Benjamin  Ransom        1830,  31,  38,  39,  58—60 

Charles  Ryder  1840—42 

John  Savery  1826—28 


332                  HISTORY    OF  CARVER 

Peleg  Savery  1808 

Dea.  Thomas  Savery  1790—92 

William  S.  Savery  1843,  44 

Daniel  Shaw  1837,  45—51 

David  Shaw  1838 

Eben  D.  Shaw  1875—78 

Joseph  Shaw  1823—25,  31—33 

Capt.  Samuel  Shaw  1828 

Henry  Sherman  1839,  40,  45 

Capt.  John  Sherman  1793,  94 

Levi  Sherman  1832—34 

Capt.  Nathaniel  Sherman  1795—98,  1809 

Nelson  Sherman  1882—85 

Albert  T.  Shurtleff  1882—89 
Benjamin  Shurtleff 

1791.  92,  94—96,  99.  1800—02 

Capt.  Gideon  Shurtleff  1805,  10—15 

Samuel  A.  Shurtleff  1847,  48 

Thomas  Southworth  1849—51,  55—58 

Herbert  A.  Stanley  1911—13 

Edward  Stephens  1803,  04 

Truman  B.  Tillsou  1859 

Wilfred  A.  Tillson  1893—1906 

James  Vaughan  1808,  10.  11,  16,  17 

Theodore  T.  Vaughan  1890—1910 

Thomas  Vaughan  1852—58,  62—67 

Capt.  Benjamin  Ward  1797,  98 

Benjamin  Ward  1822—26 

Eliab  Ward  1843,  44 
Fred  A.  Ward          1889—97,  1901,  09.  10.  11 

Stillman  Ward  1856,  57 

Benjamin  White  1801,  02 


TOWN   OFFICERS  333 

SCHOOL  COMMITTEE 

Those  who  have  served,  with  years  of  service.  Begin- 
ning with  1827  a  board  of  three  has  been  elected 
with  the  exception  of  1872,  when  the  number  was 
increased  to  sis. 

Gustavus  Atwood  1878,  84—86,  88—1901,  04 

Mrs.  Bernice  E.  Barrows  1897—99 

Charles  Barrows,  Jr.  1840 

E.  W.  Barrows  1865 

Horatio  Barrows  1849 

James  Barrows  1844 

Joseph  Barrows  1832,  33 

Dr.  William  Barrows  1832—37,  45,  46 

Mrs.  Rebecca  W.  Benson  1888—94 

Mrs.  Irene  A.  Bent  1884—88 

John  Bent  1860 

Ezra  Brett  1853 

Rufus  J.  Brett  1872 

Dr.  Charles  S.  Bumpus  1849,  51,  53,  54 

Henry  L.  Chase  1864,  65 

Rev.  Plummer  Chase  1829—31 

Nathaniel  Coggswell  1855,  56 

Mrs.  Nellie  M.  Cole  1879—81 

Ellis  G.  Cornish  1910— 
Dr.  Ellis  H.  Cornish          1868,  82—84,  88—90 

Nathaniel  S.  Gushing  1858—60 

Robert  M.  Dempsey  1872 

Elisha  M.  Dunham  1855.  56.  60—62 

Matthias  Ellis  1847,  48.  50.  51 

Seth  C.  C.  Finney  1900—04 
Rufus  C.  Freeman       1867—69,  74,  75,  80—82    ■ 

Ezra  Fuller  1838,  44 

Samuel  Glover  1839 

Henry  S.  Griffith  1887.  1901—03 

Nehemiah  C.  Hammond  1842,  43 


334  HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


Thomas  Hammond 

1863 

S.  Freedom  Jenkins 

1858,  59 

John  A.  Kenney 

1902 

Rev.  Jonathan  King 

1839,  41—43 

Rev,  William  Leach 

1866—69 

Rev.  Nehemiah  Lincoln 

1889—91 

Ebenezer  S.  Lucas       1853, 

79,  81—83,  94—96 

Ansel  B.  Maxim 

1863,  64 

Peleg  McFarlin 

1873—75 

Solomon  F.  McFarlin 

1855—57,  70—74 

Ira  Murdock 

1827 

Robert  B.  Pearson 

1871,  72 

Charles  C.  Perkins 

1905— 

Elmer  B.  Perkins 

1896—1900 

David  Pratt 

1827—31,  33,  36—39,  46,  47,  51,  52 

Ephraim  T.  Pratt 

1849,  50,  54 

E.  Tillson  Pratt           1858, 

59,  61—64,  70—73 

Joseph  Pratt 

1836—38,  40 

Miles  Pratt 

1848 

Stillman  Pratt 

1852 

Nathaniel  M.  Ransom 

1854,  57,  65,  66 

Charles  Ryder 

1852 

John  Savery 

1831,  34,  35 

William  Savery 

1857,  61,  62 

Mrs.  Alice  G.  Shaw 

1905— 

Eben  D.  Shaw 

1872 

Dr.  Samuel  Shaw 

1827—29 

William  M.  Shaw 

1905—09 

Benjamin  Shurtleff 

1844,  45,  47 

Miss  Flora  M.  Shurtleff 

1885—87 

George  A.  Shurtleff 

1841—43 

Samuel  A.  Shurtleff 

1840,  41,  48 

Thomas  M.  Southworth 

1876—78 

Ezra  Thompson 

1830 

Charles  Threshie 

1869,  70 

TOWN    OFFICERS  335 

Augustus  F.  Tillson  1875—77 

Rev.  J.  J.  Tobey  1891—93 

Isaac  Vaughan  1828,  32,  34,  35 

James  A.  Vaughan  1878—80,  1903,  04 

Thomas  Vaughan  1850 

Ansel  B.  Ward  1876,  77 

Eliab  Ward,  Jr.  1845,  46 

0.  F.  Wood  1866,  67 


ASSESSORS 

Those  who  have  served  on  the  board,  with  years  of 
service.  From  1845  to  1893  and  from  1896  to  1910 
the  Selectmen  were  also  chosen  Assessors. 

Ensign  Caleb  Atwood  1794,  96 

John  Atwood  1818,  19 
Jonathan  Atwood 

1811—14,  16,  17,  20—24,  28,  29,  30 

Lucius  Atwood  1894,  95 

S.  Dexter  Atwood  1911— 

William  Atwood  1836 

Frank  E.  Barrows  1911 — 
Joseph  Barrows           1828—30,  34,  35,  43,  44 

John  Bent  1894,  95 

Barnabas  Cobb  1790—95,  97,  99 
Nehemiah  Cobb         1791,  93,  94,  1800,  01,  09 

Timothy  Cobb  1839—42 

Hezekiah  Cole  1815 
Ebenezer  Doten     1802—07,  09,  10,  14,  16,  17 

Edward  Doten  1808 

Benjamin  Ellis  1805—07 

Thomas  Hammond  1802—07,  09 

Thomas  Hammond  1837,  38 

Capt.  Ichabod  Leonard  1897,  98 

Samuel  Lucas,  Jr.  1790,  92 


336                  HISTORY  OF    CARVER 

Samuel  Lucas     1795,  96,  98,  99,  1800—04,  17 

Huit  McFarlin  1808,  10—13,  18,  19,  33 

Bartlett  Murdock,  Jr.  1792 

Ira  Murdock  1816,  25—27 

Jesse  Murdock  1815 

Alvin  Perkins  1837—43 

Luke  Perkins  1808 

David  Pratt  1820,  21,  31,  32 

Lewis  Pratt  1825—27 

Benjamin  Ransom  1831 — 38 

Thomas  Savery  1814 

David  Shaw  «                                  1835 

Daniel  Shaw  1836 

Eugene  E.  Shaw  1894,  95 

Anthony  Sherman  1844 

Levi  Sherman  1825—27 

Capt.  Nathaniel  Sherman  1796 

Albert  Shurtleff  1834 

David  Shurtleff  1833 

Gideon  Shurtleff  1815 

Lot  Shurtleff  1820,  21,  31,  32 

Stephen  Shurtleff  1810—13,  22—24 

Isaac  Vaughan  1839 

Levi  Vaughan  1818,  19,  22—24,  28,  30 

Theodore  T.  Vaughan  1912— 

Thomas  Vaughan  1840 — 44 

Fred  A.  Ward  1911 
Benjamin  White 

1790,  91,  93,  95,  97—99,  1800,  01 


OVERSEERS   OF   POOR 

1838 

Samuel  Shaw  Benjamin  Ransom 

Thomas  Hammond 


TOWN    OFFICERS  337 

1845 
Lot  Shurtleff  John  Bent 

Ebenezer   Atwood 

1852 
Benjamin  Chase  Albert  Shurtleff 

Henry  Sherman 

1856 
Thomas  Cobb  Eliab  Ward 

Paine  M.   C.  Jones 

1857—1912 
Selectmen. 

TRUSTEES  OF  THE  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

J.  Myriek  Bump  1910— 

Seth  C.  C.  Finney  1896— 

Henry  S.  Griffith  1895— 

Eugene  E.  Shaw  1907—09 

Nelson  Sherman  1895 

Albert  T.  Shurtleff  1895—1901 

Rev.  Oscar  F.  Stetson  1902—05 

ROAD   COMMISSIONEES 

Following  an  early  custom  the  roads  were  re- 
paired and  built  by  surveyors  elected  or  appointed 
by  Districts  at  the  annual  town  meeting  until  1889 
when  an  optional  law  was  accepted  and  the  roads 
were  placed  under  the  management  of  a  board  of 
three  Commissioners.  In  1893  this  system  was 
abolished  leaving  the  roads  in  the  hands  of  the 
Selectmen  with  a  superintendent  as  their  agent. 
A  change  was  made  again  in  1899  when  the  town 
returned  to  the  Road  Commissioner  system. 


338 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


ROAD    COMMISSIONERS 
With  Years  of  Service 


Zephaniah  W.  Andrews 
John  E.  At  wood 
Henry  T.  Hammond 
Levi  F.  Morse 
E.  Herman  Murdock 
Benjamin  Robbins 
Frederick  W.  Shaw 
Ichabod  S.  Shurtleff 
Oliver  L.  Shurtleff 
William  F.  Stanley 
Frank  F.  Tillson 


1892, 


1889—91, 


1904r- 

1910— 

1889—91 

1902— 

1902—09 

99,  1900,  01 

1892 

1889—91 

99,  1900,  01 

1892 

1899—1903 


SUPERINTENDENT  OF  STREETS 
E.  Herman  Murdock  1893—99 


INDEX  OF  NAMES 


INDEX   OF   NAMES 


With  few  exceptions  simple  names  are  indexed  regard- 
less of  title  or  suffix 


Atwood,  Abbie  F.,  321 
Abigail  C,  315 
Abner,  167 

Albert  F.,  162,  207,  323 
Allen  S.,  232,  236 
Angle  F.,  321 
Annie  S.,  314 
Arthur  C,  262 
Asaph,  132,  146,  167,  330 
Barnabas,  294,  298,  307 
Betsey,  213,  315 
Caleb,    61,    103,    105,    138, 

148,  167,  202,  330,  335 
Charles,  238 
Charles  H.,  321 
Clio,  320 
Delia,  263,  323 
Ebenezer,  173,  202,  315,  337 
Ebenezer  E.,  234 
Eli,  127,  131,  132 
Eli,  Jr.,  234 
Elisabeth,  309 
Eliza  A.,  321 
Emma,  321 
Flora,  322 
Frances  N.,  322 
Frederick,    238 
George  W.,  150,  189,  322 
Gilbert  W.,  322 
Grace  D.,  322 

■Gustavus,  249,  327,  330,  333 
Hannah,  280 
Hannah  W.,  162 
Harriet,   161 
Herbert  F.,  262 
Ichabod,  108 
Ida  F.,  322 
Isaiah  F.,  235 
Isette  G.,  323 
Jason,  161 


Atwood,  Joanna,  320 

John,  22,  103,  131, 167, 168, 

335 
John  E.,  262,  338 
Jonathan,  131,  145,  146, 

158,  159,  167,  329,  330, 

335 
Joseph,  102,  131,  167,  188, 

228 
Josiah  E.,  236 
Josiah   W.,    189,    190,    234, 

249,  323 
Josephine,  322 
Joshua,  132,  168 
Lazarus,  167 
Levi,  105,  167,  320 
Lillian  M.,  318 
Lottie,  322 

Lucius,  189,  190,  323,  335 
Luther,  132,  219 
Lucv,  308,  322 
Lydia,  161,  315,  320 
Lydia  Lucas,  315 
Mabel  L.,  322 
Marcus,  188,  190,  249,  323 
Margaret,  315 
Mary,  175,  315,  320 
Mary  A.,  315 
Melissa,  161 
Mercy  J.,  322 
Miranda,  189,  281 
Molly,  315 
Nathaniel,  61, 102, 125,  131, 

138,   164,   165,   168,   199, 

200,   253,   257,   298,   300, 

307,  315,  329,  330 
Oren,  189,  226 
Patience,  315 
Peggy,  315 
Polly,  279,  310 


341 


342 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


Atwood,  Eebecca,  320 

Kuel,  303,  312 

Salmon,  213,  315 

Samuel,  131,  167 

Samuel,  Jr.,  167 

Samuel  S.,  228 

Sarah,  310 

Sarah  L.,  315 

Shadrach  F.,  320 

Stephen,  108,  167,  188 

S.  Dexter,  190,  249,  323, 
330,  335 

Stephen  T.,  234 

Sumner,  175,  176,  320 

Susan,  322 

Susan  B.,  314 

Susan  F.,  323 

Thomas,  236 

Tillson,  261 

Waitstill  M.,  315 

Waity,  315 

William,  100,  102,  137,  148, 
163,  167,  168,  258,  326, 
330,  335 

William  W.,  303,  313 
Atwood  Brook,  3 
Atwood  Eebellion,  258 
Abbot,  Elder  Samuel,  166,  167 
Adams,  Amanda  J.  162 

Amos,  243 

George,  318 

John,  310 

Thomas,  157 
Advent  chapel,  182 
Agawam,  21 
Agriculture,  251 
Almshouse  burned,  147 
American  Game  P.  &  P.  Assn., 

264 
Ames,  Seth,  315 
Andrews,  Ida  F.,  321 

Lueinda,   320 

Robert  W.,  228,  260 

Sarah  F.,   321 

Z.  W.,  162,  207,  321,  338 
Annasnapet,  17 
Anthony,  Hannah  D.,  288 
Anderson,  Frederick,   207,   263, 
323 

Philip,  239 
Appling,  Deborah,  312 

John,    109,    168 
Armory,   227 


Austin,  Laura  A.,  263,  323 
Avery,   Edward,   206 
Nathan,   176 


Babcock,  Carrie  E.,  322 

Rev.  Edwin  G.,  179 

Grace  L.,  322 
Bachus,  Elder  Isaac,  165 
Bailey,  Ellen,  276 

H.  R.,  323 

Mary,  323 
Baker,  Benoni  T.,  322 

Charles  E.,  322 

Edward  E.,  322 

Everett  B.,  322 

Lillian  V.,  322 

Minnie  M.,  322 
Baptists,  75,  125,  163,  185 

Kingston,   259 

Meetings,    170 

Ministers,   171 

Plympton,    259 
Barker,  Rev.  Joseph,   77 

Rev.  Nathaniel,   120 
Barnes,  Anne,  307 

John,  22,  109 

Jonathan,  22 
Barnes'  Mill,  267 
Barrows,  Abby  F.,  313 

Abner,  105 

Andrew,  107,  297,  298 

Arad,  275 

Asa,  107,  225,  268 

Benjamin,  109,  199 

Bernice  E.,  333 

Carver,  108,  131,  139,  168 

Charles,  296,  298,  303,  330, 
333 

Deborah,  312 

Eleanor,   263,   323 

Elisabeth,  313 

Elisabeth,  J.,  263,  323 

Ellen  B.,  323 

Ephraim,  108 

Rev.  E.  W.,  177,  179,  187, 
333 

Fannv,  315 

Fanny  D.,  313 

Frank  E.,  iii,  243,  262,  263, 
335 

Gideon,  295 


INDEX   OF   NAMES 


343 


Baxrows,  Gieorge,  61,  131,  196, 

248,  257,   293,   297,   298, 
307,  308 

Horatio,  333 

James,  333 

Jemina,  308,  309 

John,  22 

Jonathan,  102,  104,  249 

Joseph,   97,   102,  104,   121, 

131,    132,   158,   188,   189, 

190,   199,   215,   258,   261, 

326 
Lothrop,  80,  213,  226,  298, 

300,  303,  310 
Louisa,  312 
Malachi,  108,  109 
Mary,  309 
Mary  H.,  314 
Mercy,  312 

Moses,  108,  295,  298,  307 
Nelson,  126,  132,  186,  189, 

328 
Olive  M.,  323 
Peleg,   107,   121,  131,   199, 

295,  298,  306 
Peleg,  Jr.,  131 
Pelham  W.,  228,  234,  285 
Phebe,  315 
Priseilla    Jane,    145,    162, 

249,  262,  285,  318 
Ruth,  315 
Samuel,  297,  307 
Samuel  B.,  236 
Sarah,  309 

Seth,    131,    165,    168,    315, 
330 

Simeon,  104 

Simeon  H,,  228 

Simmons,  102,  131 

Thomas,  131,  201,  202,  296 

Thomas  B.,  323 

William,  105,  243,  302,  331, 
333 

WUliam  H.,  237,  281 

William  N.,  276,  323 

Wilson,  312 
Barrows  homestead,  62 
Barter,  200 
Bartlett,  John,  108 

Joseph,  22 

Sylvanus,  97,  103 
Bates,  David,  176 

David  M.,  190,  228 


Bates,  Mrs.  D.  M.,  162 

Fidelia,  320 

George  E.,  232,  236 

Irene,  322 

James  H.,  233 

John,  109 

Margaret,  320 

Martha  A.,  322 

N.  Byron,  234 
Bay  State  hall,  128,  160 
Bay  State  Light  Inf't'y,  227 
Beavers,  5 
Bemis,  285 
Bennett,  Charles  H.,  228 

John,  75,  309 

Keziah,  309 

Nehemiah,  307 

Sabatha,  308 

Stephen,  202 
Benson,  Asa,  315 

Benjamin,  102 

Betsey,  315 

Caleb,  171,  202 

Constant,  315 

Deborah,  315 

Drucilla  Ward,  315 

Ebenezer,  315 

Elial,  324 

Elisabeth,  315 

Elnathan,  109 

Harriet,  324 

Ichabod,  125,  131 

Jephtha,  108 

John,  58,  315 

John,  Jr.,  315 

John  L.,  323 

Joshua,  60,  121,  131,  309 

Joshua,  Jr.,  131 

Kate  A.,  323 

Patience,  316 

Rebecca,  316 

Rebecca  W.,  333 

SaUy,  325 
Benson's  bridge,  59 
Benson  Cemetery,  269 
Benson  forge,  267 
Bent,  Experience,  202 

Frances,  164 

George  W.,  255 

Ira  C,  188 

Irene  A.,  323,  333 

Louisa,  313 


344 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


Bent,  John,  127,  132,  152,  189, 
190,  223,  249,  331,  333, 
335,  337 

John,  Skipper,  156,  197, 
200,  201,  202,  209 

Joseph,  213 

Joseph  F.,  232,  236 
Bent,  Griffith  &  Co.,  255 
Besse,  Eev.  A.  B.,  179 

Barzilla,  123 

Henrietta,  322 
Bisbee,  Abner,  105 

Asaph,  298 

George,  105 

Elijah,  101 

Isaac,  104 

Issacher,  103,  105 

Jane,  298,  309 

John,  105 

Jonah,  298 

Mercy,  311 

Noah,  105 

Eeuben,  109 

Eev.  Eobert  E.,  179 
Bishop,  James,  103,  105 
Blair,  George  E.,  249,  318 
Blake,  Edson  C,  238 

Emma,  161 

Henry  S.,  263 
Blanding,  Fanny  S.,  322 

Thomas   E.,   318 
Blossom,  Benjamin,  109 

Ebenezer,  316 
Boardman,  Elizabeth,  139,  143, 

308 
Bonney,  David,  201 

Ebenezer,  103 

E.  and  Nathaniel,  201 

Isaac,  109 

James,  109 

Joseph,  201 

Nathaniel,  Jr.,  103 

Samuel,  105 

Seth,  201 

Simeon,  105 
Bomim,  Ebenezer,  307 

George,  22 
Bos  worth,  Benjamin,  105 

James  H.,  320 

Noah,  103 

Peter,  316 

Sarah,  316 

Susan,  320 


Boucher,  Augustus,  318 
Bounties,  46,  52 

Birds,  259 

Indians  scalps,  13 

Soldiers,  231 
Bourne,  Sylvanus,  26 
Bowers,  Eliza  A.,  323 

George   P.,    142,    152,    188, 
189,   190,   210,   220,   254, 
268,  282,  327 
Bowers  &  Jenkins,  189 
Bowers  &  Pratt,  211 
Bowman,  Eichard,  307 
Boynton,  Francelia,  325 
.     J.  E.,  182,  183,  325 

Solon  E.,  325 

W.  Otis,  325 
Bradford,  Calvin,  108 

Edward  G.,  314 

Gideon,  Jr.,  105 

Capt.  John,  93,  100,  136 

John,  104 

Lewis,  97 

Lois  A.,  314 

Oliver,   109 

Perez,  105 

Samuel,  104,  135 

Thomas,  316 

William,  108 

Winslow,  103 

Zillah,  310 
Bradley,  John,  189 
Breach,  James,  183,  324 

John,  237 

William,  325 
Brett,  Ezra,  333 

Hannah  A.,  162 

James  E.,  161 

Marion  C,  314 

Elder  Pliny,  175,  179 

Eufus  J.,  303,  314,  333 

Eufus  L.,  243 

Sylvanus  L.,  162 

William  L.,  314 
Bodfish  Bridge,  265 
Bridgham,  Joanna,  308 

John,    94,    100,    105,    131, 
199    295 

Joseph,  122,  293,  298,  30^ 

Dr.  Joseph,  298 

Samuel,  108 
Briggs,  Abitha,  167 

Ebenezer,  167 


INDEX   OF   NAMES 


345 


Briggs,  M.  Elvira,  162 

Samuel,  159,  197 

Samuel  B.,  207 
Brimhall,  Sylvanus,  109 
Bryant,  Abigail,  316 

Benjamin,  105,  108 

Billa,  164,  165,  173 

Consider,   105 

Ephraim,  103 

Eord,   109 

George,  93 

Jacob,  109     ■ 

Jean,  316 

John,  75 

Joseph,  108 

Joshua,  103,  108 

Lemuel,  72 

Levi,  105 

Luther,  109 

Mary  P.,  314 

Nathan,  108 

Patrick,  109 

Samuel,  109 

Zenas,  105 
Buckles,  Eev.  H.  W.,  172 
Bull  Kuu,  first,  233 

second,  232 
Bump,  J.  Henry,  228 

John,  213 

J.  Myriek,  323,  337 

Laura  H.,  323 

Lucinda,  323 

Nancy,  313 

P.  W.,  219,  228 

Seth,  108 
Bumpus,  Alice,  175,  320 

Andrew  M.,  189 

Betsey,  176,  320 

Dr.  Charles  S.,  333 

Chloe  Hooks,  316 

Daniel,  108,  320 

Daniel,  Jr.,  320 

Deborah,  161 

Dorcas,  321 

Edmund,  213,  265 

Edmund  P.,  321 

Edward,  321 

Edward  P.,  175,  320 

Ella,  322 

Mrs.  H.  W.,  322 

Ira  B.,  161 

Capt.  Jeremiah,  77 

John,  131,  132,  168,  210 


Bumpus,  Lucy  H.,  322 

Marcus,  321 

Martha,  322 

Mary,   310 

Moses,  321,  322 

Salathiel,  102,  131 

Sarah  E.,  318 

Silas,  215,  226 

Silas  G.,  321 

Susan,  321 
Burbank,  Arthur  "W.,  262 

Bernard  O.,  318 

Esther  A.,  318 
Burgess,  Jennie,  322 
Burnham,  George,  325 
Bursell,   Eev,   David,   166,   171, 
316 

Elisabeth,  316 
Butler,  Paul,  263 


Camp,  Rev.  Wellington,  172 
Camp  Meetings,  Meth.,  177 
Campbell,  Eev.  Othniel,  69,  70, 

71,  72,  120 
Campello  Foundry,  214 
Caples,  John,  239 
Carnes,  Edward  S.,  237 
Cartee,   Benjamin,   201 

John  S.,  190,  228 

Mrs.  John  S.,  162 
Carter,  Eev.  C,  179 
Carver   Green,  269 
Carver,  Gov.  John,  137 
Carver  Light  House,  130 
Case,  Frank,  161,  318 
Casey,  Augustus,  16,  267 

Augustus  G.,  16 

Frances  Y.,  240 

Frank,    16 

John,  16 

Joseph  Y.,  16,  240 

Thomas,  16 

William,  16 
Casey  Place,  17,  267 
Cassidy,  Mabel  S.,  318 
Cedar  Swamp,  division,  24,  25, 
26 

Doty's,  8,  26 

South  Meadow,  8 
Cemeteries,  245 

Centre  Assn.,  248 

Commissioners,  249 


346 


HISTORY   OF   CARVER 


Cemetery,  Cushings  Field,  247 
Chamberlain,  John,  105,  136 

Joseph,   107,   109 

Philip,  316 
Chandler,  Job  C,  237,  305,  312 

John  B.,  234 

Joseph  S.,  228 

Josiah,  106 

Lucy  A.,  314 

Nancy  B.,  314 

Nancy  S.,  312 

Eepentance,  244 

Euth,  312 

William  B.,  234 

William  F.,  314 

Zebedee,  108 
Chandler  Brothers,  252 
Chapin,  Eev.  Seth,  120 
Charlotte  Furnace,  62,  198,  199, 

261 
Chase,  Benjamin,  303,  312,  337 

Charles   H.,   228,   234,  302, 
303    313 

Consider,  84,  104,  148,  258, 
295,  296,  308,  329 

Eunice,  308 

Hannah,  310 

Eev.  Henry  L.,  120,  333 

John,   311 

Keziah,  312 

Levi,   330 

Louisa  L.  P.,  115,  181,  311 

Lucy,  324 

Nellie,  314 

Eev.  Plummer,  120,  243,  333 

Eev.  Walter,  172 
Cheever,  Eev.  Samuel,  172 
Chris  Springs,   267 
Church,  Meth.  Epis.,  178 
Churchill,  Asaph,  309 

Benjamin,  306 
•   Caleb,  105 

Daniel,  105 

David,  108 

Deliverance,   308 

Dinah,  316 

Ebenezer,  105,  108 

Elias,  105,  108 

Isaac,  94,  103,  196,  258 

Isaac,  Jr.,  103 

James,  103 

Jabez,  296 

John,  103,   104,  105,  108 


Churchill,  John  W.,  268 

Joseph,  23,  108 

Joshua,   105,   107 

Nathaniel,  103 

Stephen,  107,  109 

Timothy,    108 

William,  105 
Clark,  Barnabas,  166 

George  B.,  263 

Elisha,  166 

Nathan,  175,  179 

Thurston,  20 
Clarks  Coal  House,  260 
Clarks  Island,  266 
Cloth  Making,  252 
Coad,  John  A.,  325 
Coaling,   193 
Cobb,  Almira  H.,  313 

Alvin,  309 

Barnabas,  107,  138,  224, 
225,  296,  300,  328,  335 

Benjamin,  105,  139,  214, 
276,  295,  296,  297,  298, 
299.  309,  329 

Bennett,  118,  310 

Betsev,  309 

Charles,  224,  311 

Deborah,  308,  310 

Ebenezer,  115,  146,  310 

Erastus  W.,  228 

Frederick,  152,  310,  331 

George,  213,  228,  229 

Hannah,  311 

Isaac,  139 

Jane  E.,  313 

John  M.,  232,  233 

Jonathan,   105 

Joseph,    143 

Joseph  F.,  234 

Juliet  W.,  313 

Lemuel,   309 

Levi,  240 

Lois,  310 

Lucinda,  312 

Lucy,  310 

Lydia,  308,  316 

Marcus  E.,  228 

Marstin,  210 

Marstin  F.,  228 

Martha,  310 

Mary,  308,  310 

Mary  Drew,  311 

Mary  T.,  313 


INDEX    OF   NAMES 


347 


Cobb,  Mehitable,  309 

Melissa,  310 

Mercy,  312 

Nathan,  8S,  105,  115,  295, 
299,  305,  309 

Nathaniel,  295 

Nehemiah,  97,  101,  104, 
137,  224,  225,  268,  293, 
294,  296,  299,  300,  305, 
309,  328,  331,  335 

Nehemiah,  2nd,  309 

Eev.  Oliver,  114 

Otis,  312 

Phebe,  310 

Polly,  309 

Eebecca,  308 

Eoland,  107 

Samuel,  105,  297,  298,  308 

Sarah,  310 

Sidney  O.,  234 

Solon  (Eev.),  288,  313,  314 

Susanna,  310 

Sylvia,   311 

Thomas,  145,  152,  159,  224, 
225,   281,   294,   296,   299, 

302,  303,   305,   311,   326, 
329,  331,  337 

Thomas,  Jr.,  311 
Timothy,  104,  138,  297,  299, 

303,  308,   311,   326,   331, 
335 

William,  105,  106 
Cobb  &  Drew,  214,  276 
Cobb  Place,  268 
Coggeshall,  Josiah  W.,  232,  235 
Coggswell,  Eev.  Nathaniel,  119, 

120,  333 
Cole,  Abbie  E.,  318 

Asel,  312 

Benjamin,  307 

Charles  H.,  228 

Charlotte,   262 

Deborah,  313 

Gersham,  108 

Hezekiah,  107,  144,  296, 
331,  335 

Hugh,  22 

Edmund,   105 

Elisabeth,  308 

Elmer  B.,  331 

Ephraim,    107 

James,  22 

Jane,  310 


Cole,  Job,  298 

John,  22,  293,  307 

Joseph,   101,  307 

Joshua,  88,  224,  225 

Laura  Ann,  313 

Leander  S.,  276 

Lemuel,  225 

Mary,  316 

Nellie  M.,  333 

Eosa  A.,   247,   276,  277 

Susannah,  139 

Theron  M.,  303,  305,  314 

Thomas  C,  228 
Collins,   Cuffy,   144 
Committee,  Safety,  96 

Alarm  report,  93 

Correspondence,  258 
Common  lands,  24,  26 
Conant,  Eev.  Gaines,  111 

Eev.  Sylvester,  244 
Continental  money,  140 
Coombs,  Eev.  Henry  C,  171 

Laura,  314 

Elder  Simeon,  166 
Cooper,  John,  196 

Eiehard,  22 
Cooperage,  252 
Copeland,  Nancy,  313 

Ealph,   260,  302,   303,   313, 
327 
Corban,  Lucien  B.,  239 
Cornell,  Charles  F.  314 
Cornish,  A.  Freeman,  318,  323 

Bernice  E.,  318 

Blanche  E.,  318 

Ellis  G.,  318,  331,  333 

Ellis  H.,  M.  D.,  289,  318, 
333 

Gertrude  E.,  318 

Irene  A.,  318 

Mary  A.,    318 

Nancy  L.,  318,  325 

Paul  D.,  319 

Virginia  H.,  319 

Wilhelmina  L.,  263,  323 

William  E.,  319 
Costello,  Catherine,  263 

Julia,  263 
Counterfeit  money,  84 
Courts,  37 
Covil,  Alfred  C,  161 

Orinna,  318 


348 


HISTORY    OF    CAEVER 


Cranberries,  218,  220,  221,  222, 

260 
Cranberry  road,  269 
Crocker,    Abel,    196,    294,    297, 
299,  306,  308 
Abigail,  309 
Benjamin,    108,    136,    148, 

294 
Eleazer,    96,   97,    103,   295, 

299,  300,  307 
Elijah,  201 
Heman,  103 
Hannah  Nelson,  311 
Joseph,  105,  309 
Lemuel,  308 
Lemuel  N.,  207 
Lydia,  312 
Margaret,  309 
Mary,  308 
Theophilus,  307 
Cross  Paths,  87 
Crowell,  Eben,  161 
Cummings,  Eev.  Abraham,  171 
Curry,  Eev.  John  M.,  183 
Curtice,  Benjamin,  199 
Curtis,  Eev.  David,  171 
Cashing,  Gamaliel,  323 
Matthew,  176 
Matthew  H.,  219,  321 
Nathaniel  S.,  199,  219,  228, 
333  ' 

Eev.  Perez  L.,  172,  316 
Polly,  321 
Seth,  257,  258 
Cushman,  Ann,  244 
Andrew,  109 
Benjamin,  97,  105 
Caleb,  61,  109,  258 
Ebenezer,  106 
Elkanah,  Jr.,  103 
Isaac,  43,  103,  168,  258 
Isaiah,  94,  96,  97,  103,  108, 

109,  257,  258 
Jacob,  105 
Jerusha  C,  313 
Josiah,  105 
Samuel,  103 
Stephen,  132,  133,  188 
Susannah,  321 
Thomas,  103,  109,  116,  303, 

305,  313 
William,  108 
Zachariah,  105 


Cushman,  Zebedee,  109 
Cushman  farm,  61 

Darby  road,  58 
David  Place,  62 
Davis,  William  T.,  viii 
Deacons,  Baptist,  173 

Congregationalist,  305 

Advents,  183 
Declaration  of  Independence,  96 
Dempsey,  Eobert  M.,  333 
Derby,  John,  20 
Dexter,  Eev.  Elijah,  115 
Dimmick,  Charles  W.,  263,  264 
Dimond,  Maria  W.,  319 

Ira  C,  319 

Ada  L.,  319 
Donham,  Marcy,  47 
Dorr,  Eev.  E.  M.,  179 
Doten,  Amaziah,  105 

Deborah,  310 

Ebenezer,     294,     296,     300, 
308,  309,  329,  335 

Edward,  335 

Hannah,  310 

Huldah,   316 

Jacob,  307 

James,  103 

John,  307,  310 

Lucy,  311 

Mary,  308 

Eebecca,  308,  309 

Sarah,  316 

Seth,  108 

Thomas,  107 
Doty,  Edward,  20 

Samuel,  22 

Thomas,  107,   300 
Douglass,  Jesse  P.,  325 

John,  316 

Lydia,  316 

Nancy,  322 

Nannie,  161 

Maria  F.,  325 

Martha,  322 
Dowsett,  Almira  C,  325 

Lottie,  319 
Drew,  Atwood  E.,  240 

Edwin  O.,  240 

John,  172 

Lieut.  Thomas,  16,  199 

William  E.,  276 


INDEX   OF   NAMES 


349 


Dunham,  Asa,  108 

Barnabas  M.,  316,  330 
Benjamin,  316 
Benjamin  W.,  235 
Betsey,  316 
Charles  O.,  262 
Consider,  253 
Cornelius,  168,  295,  331 
Daniel,  22 
Daniel  B.,  235 
Ebenezer,     106,    131,    159, 
168,   173,   228,   316,   321, 
322,  330 
Eleazer,  309 
Elijah,  109 
Elisabeth,  310 
Elisha   M.,    161,    179,    228, 

321,  327,  333 
Ellis  D.,  234 
Ephraim,  173,  316 
Hannah,  308 
Hannah  H.,  314 
Harriet  A.,  314,  325 
Henry,  311 
Henry  A.,  228,  234 
Hervey,  210 
lehabod,  132,  316 
Irving,  322 
Israel,   108,   224,  225,   296, 

299,  311 
Isaac,  159 
Isaac  L.,  213 
James,  Jr.,  109 
John,  22,  58,  105,  219,  229, 

232,  261,  308 
Joseph,  22,  23,  316 
Julia  A.,  322 
Luella,  325 
Lucy,  312 
Lydia,  316 
Mary,  308,  316,  322 
Mary  G.,  316 
Matilda,  311 
Micager,  23 
Moses,  296 
Nathaniel,  22 
Priscilla,  316 
Rebecca,  316 
Euth,  325 
Ruth  F.,  321 
Sally  T.,  324 
Samuel,  131,  316 
Silas,  105 


Dunham,  Simeon,  106 

Susannah,  316 

Sylvanus,  103,  299 

Thomas  S.,  235 
Dunlap,  Sylvester,  322 
Duxbury,  Rev.  J.  E.,  179 
Dwelly,    Richard,    68,    86,    299, 
300,  307 

Eames,  Andrew  R.,  314 
Charlotte  E.,  305 
Flora  I.,  314 
Luther,  314 
Mabel  H.,  314 
Mary  M.,  313 
East  Head,  3,  4 
East  Head  bog,  220,  283 
Eaton,  Noah,  109 
Eddy,  Jabez,  257,  307 
Jabez,  Jr.,  294,  306 
Joshua,  197,  199,  208 
Moses,  306 
Edson,  David,  77 
Egypt,  266 

Eldredge,  Zelotus  K.,  161 
Ellis,  Barnabas,  312 

Benjamin,  16,  126,  131,  156, 
159,   202,   203,   209,   224, 
225,   226,   271,   299,   301, 
326,  331,  335 
Eliza,  161 
Freeman,  105 
Hannah,  133 
James,  132,  243 
Joel,  103,  104,  308 
Joseph,  132,  168,  202,  203, 

205 
Mary,  133,  321 
Matthias,     188,     199,     205, 
227,   243,   255,   272,   326, 
333 
Stephen,  105 
Ellis,  Benj.  &  Co.,  203 
Ellis,  Matthias  &  Co.,  205 
Ellis  Foundry  Co.,  205,  206 
Ellison,  Annie,  319 

Rev.  Joseph,  171,  319 
Everett,  Rev.  Noble,  77 

Faulkner,  Belle,  161 
Faunce,  Alden,  316 


350 


HISTORY   OF    CARVER 


Faunce,  Daniel,  10-1,  308,  316 

Eliza,  314 

Nancy,  310 

Euth,  165,  316 

Sarah,  309 
Farmers  Boilers,  207 
Finney  Bros.,  57 
Finney,  Abbot  G.,  263 

Benjamin  D.,  217,  219 

Laura  L,,  262 

Harvey,  236 

Seth,  C.  C,  331,  333,  337 
Fire,  Eailroad,  261 
First  Swamp,  268 
Fish,  Eev.  John  S.,  179 

Nancy  C,  322 
Fisher,  Eev.  T.  P.,  179 
Fflallowel,  John,  22 
Forbes,  Charles  A.,  314 

Dorothy  C,  314 

Jennie  A.,  314 

Eev.  Washington  H.,  314 
Ford,  Minnie  D.,  319 
Foundry,  Charlotte  burned,  203 

E.  D.  Shaw  &  Sons,  262 
Fox  Island,  266 
France  School  house,  175 
Freelove,  John,  202 
Freeman,  Eev.  Frederick,  115 

John,  313 

Polly  C,  313 

Eufus    C,    128,    189,    190, 
327,  333 
Fresh  Meadows,  51,  269 
Fresh  Meadow  Village,  59 
Fuller,  Andrew  A.,  239 

Benjamin,  107 

Benjamin  F.,  237 

Bridget,  22 

Ebenezer,     296,    297,    298, 
299,  303,  310 

Ebenezer,  Jr.,  313 

Elisabeth,  308 

Ezra,  333 

Hannah,  308,  313 

Isaac,  299 

Issacher,     106,     139,     143, 
294,  297,  308 

John,  105 

Mary,  116 

Mary  A.,  311 

Nathaniel,  105 

Noah,   107 


Fuller,  Samuel,  105 
Fullerton,  Eev.  Noah,  171 
Furnaces,  blast,  192 

Federal,  207 

Fresh  Meadows,  215 

Slug,  213 

Wenham,  213,  214 

Pratt  &  Ward,  213 
Furnace  Village,  199 


Game  Preserve,  263 
Gammons,  Dora  F.,  322 

Henry  H.,  322 

Jairus,  316 

Lizzie,  319 

Mary,  316 

Sullivan,  175,  320 
Gannett,  Benjamin,  99 

Thomas,  136 
Gardner,  Adeline,  314 

Edgar  E.,  266,  305,  314 

William,  109 
Garnett,  Eose,  325 
Garvin,  Minnie,  322 
Gay,  Eev.  E.,  120 
Gibbs  pond,  258 
Gibbs.  Betsey  B.,  323 

Caroline,  263 

Mary  W.,  312 

Sadie  F.,  263,  324 

Thomas,  323 

Thomas  F.,  323 

William  B.,  189,  190. 
Gill,  Lucie  H.,  161 
Glazier,  Eev.  Burt  J.,  183,  325 

Elmer  D.,  325 

I.   Christine,  325 

Lettie  L.,  325 
Glover,  Eev.  Samuel,  171,  333 
Goetz,  Katherine,  319 
Goldsmith,  Eev.  Charles  F.,  120 
Goodwin,  Nathaniel,  209 
Gonsalves,  Betsev  J.,  319 
Goulds  Bottom,  266 
Gould,  Betsev  N.,  319 

Samuel  W.,  173,  319 
Grady,  Martin,  63 

Eainah,  316 
Gradvs  pond,  63 
GraflPam,  Eev.  A.  Davis,  171,  319 

Annie  F.,  319 
Grassy  Island,  61 


INDEX   OF   NAMES 


351 


Gray,  John,  26 

Great  Line,  first,  28 

Great  Lots,  cedar  swamp,  25 

P.  and  P.  Commons,  27,  28 

Greenwood,  Eev. ,  120 

Griffith,  Alonzo  D.      324 

Andrew,  152,  161,  190,  228, 
329,  331 

Carrie  B.,   161 

Charles  W.,  228,  233,  260 

Ellis,    104,    109,    132,    141, 
188 

Ephraim,  61,  103,  131,  161, 
168,  219 

E.  Lloyd,  207 

Helen,  161 

Helen  A.,  324 

Henry    S.,    190,    249,    324, 
328,  329,  333,  337 

John  W.,  210 

Lucius  E.,  236 

Mabel,  263,  324 

Martha  M.,  324 

Mary,  316 

Obed,  132,  202 

Orlando  P.,  207 

Orville  K.,  207,  324 

Silvanus,  132,  213 

Stephen,  132,  226 

Thomas  B.,   227,   229,   233, 
249,  255,  283,  327,  331 

Wilson,  132 
Gurney,  Benjamin,  307 
Gutterman,   192 


Halfway  ponds,  62 
Hall,  Abner,  103 

Eliza  A.,  316 

Ferdinand,  109 

Jabez,  202 

Lydia,  132 

Eev.  T.  M.,  179 

Capt.    of    Little    Compton, 
307 
Ham,  Samuel,  Jr.,  239 
Hamblin,  Eev.  H.  W.,  179 

Eev.  J.  B.,  179 
Hammond,  Anna  W.,  311 

Benjamin,  132,  325 

Betsey  S.,  324 

George,  100,  301 

George  W.,  312 


Hammond,  Hannah,  310 

Henry  T.,  338 

Julia  F.,  183,  325 

Lucien  T.,  161,  236 

Lydia  M.,  313 

Mary,  308,  311 

Kehemiah  C,  312,  333 

Persis,  311 

Persis  Cobb,  311 

Eowland,  102,  131,  164,  165, 
173,  293,  294,  301,  307 

Sarah  A.,   324 

Thomas,  79,  113,  132,  144, 
146,  158,  241,  260,  261, 
296,  299,  301,  303,  305, 
310,  329,  331,  334,  335 

William,  161,  312,  314,  328 
Harlow,  Abner,  109 

Alvin  C,  228,  243,  303,  312 

Barnabas,  106 

Benjamin,  161,  316 

Benjamin,  2nd,  316 

Benjamin  F.,  322 

Maj.  Branch,  197 

Cordelia  F.,  313 

Elijah,   109 

Ephraim,  293,  296,  297,  298, 
301,  303,  312,  330 

Ephraim  T.,  228 

George,  107 

Hannah,  312 

Isaac,  161 

James,  94,  109 

Lavina,  316 

Lazarus,  106 

Lydia  D.,  316,  322 

Nathaniel,  106,  258 

Eobert,  108, 

Eosette  B.,  313 

Samuel,  22 

Simeon,  161 

Thomas,  103 

William,  22,  105,  109 
Hart,  Annie,  316 

Sophe,  316 

Swanzea,  168,  202,  316 
Haskell,  Xoah,  316 
Haskins,  William,  22 
Hatch,  Abigail  S.,  324 

Anna  G.,  325 

Ichabod,  105 

John  B.,  228,  237,  316,  324 

William  C,  262 


352 


HISTORY    OF   CARVER 


Hatfield,  Eev.  E.,  172 
Hathaway,  Abigail,  321 

Luey  P.,  324 

Eufus,  228 

William  E.,  182,  183,  324 
Haverty,  Thomas,  239 
Hawkes,  Hannah,  263,  324 

Harry  O.,  324 
Hayden,  Herbert  H.,  322 

Joseph,  207 

Eosa  C,  322 

WiUiam,  207 
Haywood,  Dr.  Nathan,  209 
Hearse,  142 
Hearvy,  David,  307 

Elisabeth,  308 
Hemlock  Island,  265 
Herring  Brook,  267 
Higgins,  Fulmer  A.,  314 
Highland  Foundry  Co.,  212 
Highways,  52 
Hoar,  Peter,  166 
Hobill,  Sophronia,  322 
Hogreaves,  141 
Holiday,  first  general,  70 
Holmes,  Charity,  316 

Charles  H.,  240 

Church,  316 

Eleazer,  107,  109 

Jacob,  189 

Jesse  A.,  262 

Job,  103 

Job,  Jr.,  103 

John,  26 

Jonathan,  107,  109 

Capt.  Joseph,  146 

Lewis,  225 

Philander  J.,  240 

Mrs.  P.  J.,  249 

Ehoda,  309 

Simeon,  103 

Eev.  Sylvester,  114 
Hooks,  Nathaniel,  316 
Hooper,  Asa,  109 
Hopkins,  Stephen,  20 
Hovey,  James,  199 
Howard,  Patience,  322 
Howland,  Abigail,  309 

Calvin,  298 

Elisabeth,  308 

Eev.  John,   72,   73,  74,  76, 
120,  137,  259,  307 

Thankful,  309 


Huckleberry  Corner,  61 
Hudson,  James  S.,  322 

Julia,  322 
Hunt,  Eev.  E.  A.,  178,  179 

Emily  F.,  322 
Hunting,  Henry  A.,  239 
Huntinghouse  Brook,  2,  268 
Humphrey,  Asa,  311 

Galen,  321 
Hurd,  Manoah,  238 

William  D.,  322 


I.  O.  G.  T.  lodges,  161 
Indians,  13,  14,  16,  17,  267 
Inflation,  74,  84 
Ingham,  Donald  B.,  323 

Katherine  B.,  276,  323 
Inspector  of  nails,  141 
Intemperance,    155,     159,     171, 

193 
Inquisition,  159 
Irwin,  Wniiam,  234,  316 
Island  Farm,  62 


Jackson,  Abraham,  22 

Barnabas,  109 

Eleazer,  297,  299,  307 

Eansom,  307 

Samuel,  293,  299,  307 

Sarah,  16 
Jacksons  Point,  266 
James,  Josephine  A.,  314 
Jefferson,  Benjamin,  321 

Carrie,  322 

James  M.,  319 

Madison,  322 

Walter  T.,  324 
Jenkins,  S.  Freedom,  128,  189, 
190,  254,  334 

William  F.,  254 
Jenney,  John,  20,  267 
Jewett,  Eev.  Paul,  120 
Johnson,  Abbie  A.,  319 

Eev.  Charles  G.,  179 

Ezekiel,  108 

Eev.  Lorenzo  D.,  175 

Seth,  108 
Joel  Field,  265 
Jones,  Paine  M.  C,  337 
Jourdan,  John,  22 
Jowett,  Mary  P.  S.,  261,  263,  324 


INDEX    OF    NAMES 


353 


Judson,  Eev.  Adoniram,  77 


Keith,  Miriam,  316 

Union,  201 
Kelley,  Charles,  207 

John,  239 
Kendall,  Eev.  Ezra,  166, 171,  259 

Eev.  James,  77 
Kenney,  A.  E.,  190 

Delia  G.,  263 

John  A.,  331,  334 
Kennedy,  James  P.,  145 
Kentucky  Furnace,  199 
Kidds  Island,  269 
Kilroy,  John,  238 
King,  Amaziah,  143 

Caleb,  316 

Charles  A.,  312 

Hattie  W.,  314 

Isaac,  143 

John,  107,  309 

Jonathan,  132 

Eev.  Jonathan,  120,  313,  334 

Joseph,  132 

Lizzie  C,  314 

Lydia,  144 

Nathaniel,  316 

Sarah  F.,  313,  325 
King  Philip  hall,  141,  267 

Spring,  267 

War,  14,  23,  267 
Knights  of  Labor,  261 
Knott,  Aaron  B.,  321 

Sally,  321 


Lakenham,  14,  21,  57,  58,  267 
Lalor,  Thomas,  239 
Langly,  Samuel,  239 
Land,  19,  20,  22,  23 
Lavender,  Susie,  322 
Law,  Alexander,  279 
Lawrence,  Susan  A.,  285 
Lawson,  Thomas  W.,  263 
Lazell,  Gen.  Sylvanus,  208 
Leach,  Abbie,  319 

Eev.  Albert,  171,  319 

Lizzie,  161 

Eev.  William,  171,  334 
Leach's  forge,  267 
Leaming,  L.  Georgie,  319 
Lebaron,  Abigail,  316 


Lebaron,  Lazarus,  196,  316 

Mary,  316 

Sarah,  316 

Temperance,  316 
Leonard,  Benjamin  F.,  128 

Eev.  H.  P.,  120 

Ichabod,  225,  335 

Eowland,   131 

Eowland  &  Co.,  200 
Leslie,  Elder  I.  I.,  182,  183,324 
Lettuce,  Thomas,  22 
Lewis,  Eleazer,   131 

Emma  L.,  325 
Lewis,  Katy  H.,  325 

Marion  W.,  319 

Mary  Eva,  325 

Shubet,  307 
Lincoln,  Amelia  A.,  314 

George  P.,  249 

Jennie  M.,  319 

Mary,  263 

Eev.    Nehemiah,    120,    314, 
334 
Linfield,  William,  77 
Liquor  Agents,  160,  260 
Livingstone,  William  W.,  314 
Lobdell,  Ebenezer,  106 

Isaac,  108 
Lockhart,  George  E.,  319 

Eev.  George  H.,  171,  319 

Herbert,  319 

Lorena,  319 

Margaret,  319 
Lodging  House,  204 
Long,  Gustavus  H.,  322 

Ellen,  322 
Look,  Susan,  321 
Loring,  Caleb,  106,  244 

Ignatius,  103,  106 

Isaac,  104 

Jabez,  201 

Jacob,  109 

Joshua,  101,  103 

Simeon,  108 

Thomas,  96,  103 
Loring,  Wilfred  B.,  319 
Lothrop,  Isaac,  196 

Isaac,  Jr.,  196 
Lothrops  forge,  267 
Lovelaud,  Anna  E.,  325 
Lovell,  Ella,  161 
Loyal  Temp.  Union,  162 


354 


HISTORY   OF    CARVER 


Lucas,   Abigail,    164,  307,  309, 
316 
Abijah,  108,  224,  225,  258, 

299,  309,  331 
Anna,  312 
Barnabas,  88,  106,  107,  295, 

308 
Barney,  321 
Benjamin,    107,    109,    225, 

308 
Lieut.  Beniamin,  225 
Benoni,  22,'  58 
Bethia,  316 
Calvin,  168 
Charlotte,  313 
Consider,  109 
Eben  S.,  316,  331,  334 
E.  Allan,  173,  319 
Eleanor,  310,  316 
Elijah,  106 
Elisha,  103,  109,  196,  257, 

294,  301,  307,  309 
Eliza  H.,  316 
Elkanah,  131,  163,  295 
Emma,  314 
Ephraim,  109 
Ezra,  303,  312 
Hannah,  311 
Hannah  S.,  316 
Harvey,  316 
Helen,  319 
Henry  E.,  319 
Horatio  A.,  152,  172,  173, 

219,  249,  316,  327,  331 
Hosea,  168 
Xsaac   107 
Isaac' Shaw,  107,  225,  296, 

305,  309 
Jesse  F.,  237 
Jemina,  311 
John,    22,    107,    225,    301, 

309 
Lieut.  John,  225 
John  S.,  159 
Joseph,   68,   103,  196,  293, 

299,  301,  307 
Lois,  310 
Lot  S.,  319 
Lydia,  308,  309 
Martha,  309 
Martin  L.,  317 
Maria  E.,  319 
Mary,  310,  317 


Lucas,  Mary  R.,  319 
Mary  S.,  317 
Nehemiah,  104 
Persis,  181,  311 
Eebecea,  309 
Ruby,  309 
Ruth,  317 
Salla,  317 
Samuel,  68,  106,  131,  144, 

168,   172,   196,  258,   293, 

294,  299,  301,  307,  311, 

329,  336 
Samuel,  Jr.,  137,  138,  294, 

301,  328,  331 
Samuel,  3d,  109,  148,  294, 

299,  301,  328 
Lieut.  Samuel,  299,  301 
Dea.   Samuel,   93,   95,   294, 

301 
Warren,  313 
William,  294,  307 
Zillah,  317 
Lumber  trade,  251 
Lyon,  Asahel,  108 
Obadiah,  131 
Zebedee,  109 


Macadam  Road,  262 
Mace,  Rev.  J.  M.,  171 
Macllwain,  Geo.  E.,  324 
Magoon,  James,  104 
Makepeace,  Abel  D.,  220 
Mann,  Isaac,  Jr.,  75 
Manter,  Alden,  317 

Ella  F.,  162 

Emma  F.,  162 

Everett  T.,  240 

Hattie,  322 

Nelson  F.,  161,  207 

Pardon,  317 

Polly,  317 

Sylvia  E.,  322 

Thomas  P.,  161 
Manly,  Rev.  W.  E.,  179 
Marshfield,  98 
May  training,  226 
Mayhew,  Thomas,  87 
Maxim,  Abijah,  317 

Almira,  321 

Ansel    B.,    238,    321,    328, 
334 

Basheba,  317 


INDEX   OF   NAI^IES 


355 


Maxim,  Caleb,  317 

Elisabeth,  161,  321 

Ellis,  189,  321 

Jabez,  107,  123,  168,  330 

Jabez,  Jr.,  168 

John,    106,    131,    139,    176, 
258,  325 

John,    Jr.,    117,    285,    309, 
310 

John  M.,  228,  235,  321 

Joseph,  317 

Lydia,  317 

Martha,  309 

Mary,  310,  321 

Mehitable,  317 

Nathan,  238 

Patience,  175,  317,  320,  321 

Phebe,  317 

Sarah,  321,  322 

Seth  S.,  176,  177,  321 

Sophronia,  310 

Susan,  322 

Susan  A.,  1 75,  320 

Thomas,  102,  131,  159,  168, 
175,  176,  177,  190,  320 

Thomas,  Jr.,  175,  176,  320 

Watson  T.,  321 
McCabe,  Thomas,  239 
McEarlin,  Alberta  M.,  322 

Anne  K.,  263,  324 

Charles  D.,  219,  220 

Cora,  322 

David,  109 

Donald,  iii,  207,  324 

Eldoretta,  249,  263,  324 

Elijah,  106,  109 

Elvira  S.,  322 

Harriet,  320 

Helena,  viii,  263,  324 

Huit,    126,    131,    168,    329, 
331,  336 

Huldah,  321 

Isadore  L.,  324 

Jason  B.,  162,  321 

Joseph,  108 

Joseph  T.,  161,  321 

John  B.,  162,  207,  235, 
322 

Lucretia,  161 

Mabel  M.,  162,  319 

Martha,  322 

Madella,  322 

Mercy  J.,  161 


McFarlin,  Peleg,  189,  190,  199, 
206,  243,  289,  326,  327, 
328,  334 

Eebecca,  321 

Sampson,  188,  219,  227 

Sarah  F.,  263,  324 

Solomon  F.,  161,  227,  228 

Susan  A.,  322 

Thomas  H.,  219 

Veretta,  263,  322,  324 

Capt.  William  S.,  161,  227, 
229,  232,  234,  321 

Wilson,  228,   232,  234,  321 
McHenry,  Samuel,  325 
McKay,  Helen  F.,  262,  314 

James  S.,  59 
McMahon,  Thomas,  239 
MeSheary,  James,  237 
Mead,  Eev.  Asa,  77 
Meade,  Eev.  Alfred  F.,  183 
Meeting  House,  85,  86,  89,  169, 

305 
Megone,  David,  94 
Melish,  Eev.  John,  177 
Merritt,  Andrew  D.,  233 

Emma  F.,  325 
Metcalf,  Cordelia,  319 
Methodism,  81,  115,  175 
Middleton,  William  E.,  238 
Miller,  Edward,  239 

Nellie  A.,  322 

William,  161,  322 
Millerites,  116,  181 
Military  duty,  36,  223 
Minute  Men  of  1861,  232 
Molly  Holmes  Place,  267 
Moore,  Emma  F.,  263 

George,  20 

Jane  L.,  263 

Eev.  John,  120 
Moranville,  LUlian  F.,  319 
Morris,  John,  109 

Eose,  324 
Morrison,  William,  108,  131,  269 
Morse,  Cephas,  314 

Ephraim,  108 

Dr.  George  F.,  325 

Hannah,  312 

Hosea  B.,  238 

John  P.,  322 

Levi  F.,  338 

Lucinda  E.,  325 

Mary  A.,  314 


356 


HISTORY    OF    CARVER 


Morse,  Phebe  M.,  314 

Eobert  P.,  232 

Eussell  T.,  319 

Simeon,  202 

Susannah,  3l4 

William,  309 
Moss,  Lucy,  317 

Theodore,  317 
Morton,  Elisabeth,  317 

Elisha,  109,  317 

George,  23 

Job,  296,  313 

Nathaniel,  22,  307 

Seth,  197 
Mt.  Misery,  266 
Mt.  Washington  Iron  Co.,  280 
Mulford,  Sarah  P.,  285 
Murder,  Pero,  109 
Murdock,  Azubah,  310 

Bartlett,   15,   62,   102,   103, 
104,  121,  131,  198,  202 

Bartlett,  Jr.,  131,  200,  201, 

202,  331,  336 

Col.  Bartlett,  205,  209,  224, 

226,  242,  280,  331 
Deborah,  203,  272 
Edward,  110 
Elisha,  131,  132,  202,  225, 

228,  330,  331 
Elisha,  Jr.,  132 
E.  Herman,  324,  338 
Fanny,  247 
Henry  C,  189,  190 
Ira,  iv,  126,  132,  226,  334, 

336 
James,  107,  131,  1&^ 
Jesse,    110,    126,    13i,    152, 

159,   186,    188,   189,   190, 

203,  205,   247,   255,   261, 
272,  326,  331,  336 

John,  61,  68,  161,  189,  190, 
202,  228,  233,  301,  306 

Mary  A.,  161 

Sarah,  309 

Seabury,  210 

Susan  A.,  263,  324 

Swanzea,  vii,  110 

William,  168,  226 
Murdock  Homestead,  62 
Murdock  Parlor  Grate  Co.,  256 

Nash,  Daniel  W.,  183,  325 


Nelson,    Elder    Ebenezer,    165, 
166 

Elder  Samuel,  166 

Stephen,  165 

William,  22 
Newhall,  George,  325 
Newport,  Prince,  110 
New  Bridge,  269 
N.  E.  Town  meeting,  35 
New  Meadows,  3,  219 
Nicholls,  Elisabeth  J.,  317 

James  C,  317 
Nicol,  Adam,  Jr.,  240 
Niles,  Eev.  Asa,  172 

Eev.  Samuel,  77 
Nixon,  Clara,  321,  322 
Northern,  Jesse  M.,  325 

Lydia  F.,  325 
Nott,  Aaron,  133,  176 
Nova  Scotia,  255 
Nye,  Ann  E.,  319 

Bonum,  295 

Elias,  295 

Jabez,  294,  307 

Isaac,  295,  308 

Lucy,  319 

O  'Connell,  William  H.,  233 

Ocean  house,  267 

Old  Gate  road,  265 

Old  Home  Week  ins.,  262 

Onset  Bay,  283 

Ore,  bog,  198 

Jersey,  200 

Pond,  198 
Overseers  of  Poor,  146 
Owers,  John  C,  314 


Packard,   Eev.   Joshua  F.,   171, 
319 

Susie  D.,  319 

Eev.  Willard  F.,  171 
Paine,  Eev.  Emerson,  115 
Palmer,  Joshua,  105 
Panis,  John  B.,  317 

Susan,  317 
Paper  money,  91 
Park  Commission,  263 
Parker,  Eev.  C.  A.,  171 

Eev.  Jonathan,  66 

Jonathan,  244 


INDEX   OF   NAMES 


357 


Parker,  Samuel,  240 

Sarah,  310 
Paro,  Edward,  207 
Parris,  Eev.  John  B.,  171 
Parrish,  Josiah,  105 
Parish,  abolished,  83 
Parsons,  Anna,  317 

James,  317 

Eev.  James,  171 
Parting  Ways,  58 
Pawtuxets,  13 
Pearson,  Abbie  F.,  319 

Ezra  F.,  viii,  233 

Eobert  B.,  238,  334 

William  W.,  236 
Peckham,  Abbie  J.,  31^ 

Annie  G.,  319 

Annie  H.,  319 

Henry  M.,  319 

Mabel  I.,  319 
Penno,  Sophia,  323 
Perkins,  Albert  W.,  234 

Alvin,  210,  317,  331,  336 

Alvin  S.,  228 

Arthur  C,  325 

Charles  C,  323,  334 

Calvin,   105 

Ebenezer,  110 

Elisabeth,  317 

Elmer  B.,  314,  325,  334 

Flora,  323 

Gideon,  102,  168 

Grace  I.,  323 

Hannah,  308 

Isaac,  309 

Jacob  T.,  330 

John,  110 

Jonathan  B.,  314 

Joseph,  93,  106 

Joshua,    75,    96,    101,    195, 
295,  299 

Josiah,  103,  106,  110 

Luke,    103,    226,    301,    330, 
336 

Molly,  309 

Nancy  B.,  161 

Olive,   314 

Priscilla,  317 

Temperance,  310 

Zephaniah,  101 
Perras,  Moses,  166 
Perry,  Abisha  S.,  228 

Ezra,  107 


Perry,  Salathial,  202 
Phenix  Iron  Works,  279 
Phillips,  Betsey,  16 
PljTupton,  settlement  with,  139, 

140 
Plymouth,  bounds  of,  21 
Plymouth  Foundry  Co.,  284 
Plymouth  and  Plvmpton  Com., 

26,  27 
Pierce,   Ignatius,  317 

Jesse,  317 

Joseph,  317 

Keziah,  317 
Piercon,  John,  207 
Pink,  Anna  L.,  314 

Stewart  H.,  243,  331 
Pokanet,   17 

Field,  17,  269 
Polyi^ody  cove,  266 
Pool,  Jacob,  77 
Poor,   142,   143,   144 
Poor  farm,  145,  146 
Ponds,  Atwood,  61 

Bates,  3,  61 

Barretts,  4 

Beaver  Dam,  3 

Bowers  Trout,  268 

Cedar,  4 

Clear,  4 

Coopers,  4 

Cranebrook,  15 

Derby  or  Darby,  20 

Dotys,  4,  57 

Dunhams,  3 

Furnace,  62 

Goulds  Bottom,  4 

Johns,  4,  22 

Sampsons,  3,  198 

Tihonet,  4 

Triangle,  4,  267 

Wenham,  57,  269 
Pope,  Thomas,  22,  58,  194 
Popes  Point,  58,  194 
Popes  Point  furnace,  59,  195 
Population,  250 
Post  Offices,  243 
Powers,  Leonard  S.,  314 

Lydia  C,  314 
Pratt,  Allen,  311 

Alma  M.,  319 

Benijah,  22,  306 

Benjamin,  110,  307 

Betsey  T.,  317 


358 


HISTORY   OF    CARVER 


Pratt,  Catherine  L.,  325 

Charles  F.,  235 

Consider,  110 

Daniel,  103 

David,  214,  301,  328,  329, 
331,  334,  336 

Eleazer,  23 

Ellen,  285 

Ephraim,  107,  213,  293, 
296,  328 

Ephraim  T.,  334 

E.  Tillson,  284,  334 

Enoch,  228 

George  H.,  237 

Hannah  B,,  313 

I.  and  J.  C,  260 

Jabez,  307 

John,  22,  57 

Joseph,  23,  210,  272,  294, 
306,  334 

Joseph  2nd,  214 

Lemuel,  293,  301 

Lewis,  viii,  159,  168,  213, 
214,  215,  272,  274,  326, 
331,  336 

Matthias,  214 

MUes,  273,  334 

Nancy,  289,  314 

Nathaniel,  103,  110 

Noah,  109,  164,  165,  317 

Patience,  139,  309 

Priseilla,  312 

Euth,  310 

Sally  B.,  313 

Stillman,   334 

Rev.  Stillman,  116,  119,  120 

Susannah,  285 

Tillson,  317 

Tillson  &  Son,  260 

Thomas,  307 

Winslow,  181,  312,  325 
Precinct,  65,  67,  68,  69,  75,  77, 

78,  80 
Precinct  records,  iv 
Province  Rock,  265 
Province  tax,  95 
Putnam,  Rev.  Israel  W.,  119 


Quieting  of  possessions,  38 
Quinby,  Byron  C.  277 
Quitticus, '17,  269 


Eamsden,  Daniel,  22 
Ransom,  Abigail,  308 

Capt.  Benjamin,  224,  225 

Benjamin,  104,  159,  165». 
181,  183,  243,  299,  301, 
303,  309,  312,  317,  326, 
331,  336 

David,  104,  295 

Ebenezer,  105,  106,  297,, 
299,  307 

Elijah,  106 

Hazadiah,  309 

John,  311 

Joseph,  106,  307 

Levi,  181,  183,  237,  311,. 
325 

Louisa,  325 

Lucy,  181,  312,  325 

Nathaniel  M.,  M.  D.,  183, 
325,  334 

Phebe,  181,  311 

Rebecca,  181,  310 

Robert,  22 

Samuel,  307 

Sarah  L.,  325 

Willis,  317 
Rardon,  John,  239 
Rates  abated,  124 
Ray,  John,  239 
Raymond,  Stephen,  108 
Recall  of  decision,  72 
Reed,  John,  209 

Polly,  325 
Revival,  113,  169,  177 
Richards,  Elijah,  108 

Hannah  P.,  324 

Rufus  L.,  195,  324 
Richmond,  Rev.  Abel,  77,  114 

Henry,   202 
Rickard,  Abner,  108 

Eleazer,  103,  108 

Elijah,  107,  110 

Gyles,  Jr.,  22 

Hiram  L.,  314 

Isaac,  106 

John,  22,  104 

Jonathan,  103 

Joseph,  307 

Josiah,  26 

Lemuel,  106 

Lucy  W.,  314 

Samuel,  26 

Theodore,  106 


INDEX   OF   NAMES 


359 


Hidge,  the,  2,  151 
Eiggs,  Christy  L.,  314 

Eev.  Ezra  J,,  314 

Ida  L.,  314 
Eing,  Andrew,  22 

William,  22 
Eipley,  Abigail,  309 

Eleazer,  108 

Frances,  105,  110 

Isaiah,  106 

Joseph,  103 

Josiah,  103 

Samuel,  106 

Timothy,  97,  103 

William,  93,  109 
Eisse,  Peter,  22 
Bobbins,  AbigaU,  311,  317 

Adelbert  P.,  319 

Annie  H.,  314 

Benjamin  W.,  219,  303, 
314,  327,  338 

Consider,  312,  317 

Chandler,  303,  311 

Eleazer,  103,  107,  295 

Ephraim,  243 

Ethel  v.,  314 

Evelyn  F.,  314 

Grace  I.,  319 

Harriet,  310 

Mrs.  Horace  C,  59 

James,  301 

Jane  E.,  314 

Jeduthen,  23 

John  S.,  232,  237,  314 

Joseph,  132,  139,  143,  168, 
173,  181,  219,  299,  304, 
311,  317,  330 

Joseph  S.,  237 

Josiah,  228 

Lizzie  A.,  314 

Lloyd  C,  314 

Mary  E.,  319 

Maurice  F.,  315 

Patience,  181,  311,  317 

Priscilla,  317 

Eebecca,  311 

Eebecca  L.,  319,  325 

Eosina,  F.,  319 

Susan,  319 

Susie  A.,  315 
Eobens,  Eleazer,  308 

John,  307 

Priscilla,  308 


Eobinson,  Eev.  E.  W.,  120 

Elder  George,  165 
Eobinson  swamp,  266 
Eochester  road,  62,  57 
Eogers,  Lawrence  M.,  324 

Mary  C,  324 
Eoy,  Ethel  V.,  263 
Euggles,  Jacob  Loring,  110 
Eum  shops,  122,  155,  156 
Eunnells,  Samuel  B.,  240 
Eyan,  James  J.,  263,  324 
Eyder,  Anna,  175,  320 

Charles,  175,  176,  177,  320, 
331,  334 

Nathan,  219 

Nathaniel,  103 

Eosa,  323 


Sampson,  Deborah,  99 

Gideon,  106,  295 

Henry,  103 

Ichabod,  304,  312 

John,  75,  201 

Peleg,  106 

Capt.  Thomas,  100 

William,  110 

Zabdiah,  106 
Sanborn,  John  D.,  232,  237 
Sandwich,  21 
Savery,  Anna  E.,  263,  324 

Benjamin  H.,  237 

Ethel,  263,  324 

Harriett  D.,  261,  263,  324 

James,  117,  141,  298,  310 

John,  126,  132,  151,  159, 
176,  202,  203,  278,  279, 
326,  328,  331,  334 

Mary,  272 

Mary  T.,  313 

Peleg,  332 

Peleg  Barrows,  275 

PoUy,  189 

Samuel,  22 

S.  Louise,  263,  324 

Thomas,  93,  96,  107,  136, 
^37,  146,  163,  258,  297, 
305,  308,  332,  336 

Hon.  Thomas,  279 

Timothy,  210 

Waitstill  A.,  283 


360 


HISTORY   OF    CAEVER 


Savery,  William,  142,  152,  185, 
186,  187,  189,  190,  260, 
261,  273,  327,  33-4 

William  E.,  190,  233 

William  S.,  304,  315,  326, 
332 
Savery 's  Avenue,  261 
Savery  Place,  James,  267 
Saw  mills,  54,  60 
Schools,  47,  147,  148,  149,  150, 

151,  152,  257,  260 

Endowments,  153 

Masters,  35,  147 
Schouler,  Lizzie  M.,  162 
Sears,  Elisabeth,  317 

Ella,  161,  323 

Hannah,  317 

Joseph,  317 

Lueetta,  317 

Orrin  B.,  323 

Euby,  317 
Seipets,  15,  62 
Seipet,  Desire,  16 

Launa,  16,  267 

Moses,  257 
Selectmen,  care  of  Indians,  16 

Qualifications,  35 
Sextons,  142 

Shattuck,  Eev.  Frank,  183 
Shaky  Bottom  bridge,  265 
Shaw,  Abigail,  168,  317 

Adaleita,  323 

Adeline  B.,  317 

Alfred   M.,    189,   190,   219, 
249,  324 

Alice  G.,  324 

Alonzo  D.,  161,  233 

Alvan,  132 

Ambrose,  106 

Anna  K.,  263 

Anne  W.,  313 

Atwood,  176,  219,  325 

Bartlett,  228,  232,  234 

Benjamin,  Jr.,  104 

Benoni,  248,  299,  307 

Cephas,  228,  275 

Charles  S.,  304,  315 

Chloe  S.,  325 

Crispus,  132,  267       "" 

Daniel,  188,  189,  226,  243, 
332,  336 

David,  332,  336 

Deborah,  308 


Shaw,  Eben  D.,  284,  332,  334 
Edward  C,  162,  262 
E.  Watson,  243,  319 
Elbridge  A.,  235,  262 
Elisabeth,  161,  308 
Eliza  A.,  161,  283 
.  Ellis,  168,  213 
Elmer,  161 
Eugene  E„  145,   249,  269,. 

319,  327,  336,  337 
Frederick  W.,  338 
George,  165,  306 
George  H.,  232,  233 
Gertrude  F.,  263 
Gilbert,  228 
Hannah,  309,  317 
Hannah,  2nd,  317 
Harrison,  213,  317 
Ira  B.,  228 
Isaac,  235,  296 
Isaac  W.,  262 
Jacob,  172,  173,  317 
James,  165,  307 
Jesse  M.,  234 
John,    94,    103,    120,    122, 

131,  152,  168,   189,  196, 

243,  294,  299,  307 
Eev.  John,  77,  111,  120 
Maj.  John,  224 
Capt.  John,  225 
Lieut.  John,  101,  159,  25a 
John,  3d,  228 
John,  Jr.,  258,  295 
John,  of  Middleboro,  168 
John  F.,  128,  190,  228,  249, 

324 
Jonathan,   22,  23,   57,   104, 

194,  196,  248,  297,  307 
Jonathan,  Jr.,  306 
Jonathan  W.,  232,  233,  237 
Joseph,  139,  166,  225,  226,. 

299,  332 
Laura,  161 
Levi,  168 

Linas  A.,  232,  234 
Lorenzo  N.,  234,  325 
Lucy,  308,  310 
Lydia,  161,  309,  312,  317 
Mary,  308,  319 
Mary  A.,  319,  325 
Mary  E.,  161 
Melora,  323 
Mercy,  311 


INDEX   OF   NAMES 


361 


Shatv,  Molly,  317 
Moses,  294,  307 
Nancy  A.,  263,  324 
Nathaniel,    197,    224,    234, 

294,  299,  308,  317 
Nellie  W.,  162 
Oliver,  280 
Oliver,  2nd,  228 
Perez,  132,  189 
Eebeeca,  309,  312 
Samuel,   70,  144,  148,  157, 

168,   190,   226,   297,  300, 

307,  328,  330,  332 
Capt.     Samuel,     132,     159, 

188    226 
Dr.  Samuel,  272,  328,  334 
Silas,  132,  189 
Silvanus,  132,  168 
Silvanus,  Jr.,  168 
Maj.  Stillman,  224,  226 
Thomas,  63 
William  M.,  262,  334 
Wilson,  312 
Shaws  Island,  266 
Sheep  marks,  253 
Sherman,  Amelia,  161 
Andrew,  311 
Anthony,  224,  225,  336 
Betsey  W.,  312 
Calista,  312 
Charles,  161 
Charles  A.,  315 
Charles  L.,  323 
Earl,  219 
Eben,  219 
Hannah  C,  315 
Hannah  M.,  315 
Henry,  146,  301,  304,  326, 

332,  337 
Jabez,  80,  311 
John,    59,    224,    297,    300, 

309,  330,  332 
Joseph,  312 
Joseph  W.,  227 
Levi,    159,    300,    301,    304, 

312,  332,  336 
Lucy,  311 
Lydia,  312 
Lydia  D.,  325 
Maria  C,  315 
Mary,  310 
Mary  E.,  323 
Maryette,  313 


Sherman,    Nathaniel,    104,   300, 

301,  326,  332,  336 
Nellie  W.,  315 
Nelson,  304,  332,  337 
Phebe  A.,  313 
Eufus,  159,  294,  304,  312 
Sarah  A.,  315 
Sherman  hall,  59 
Shoemaking,  252 
Shoestring  Factory,  254 
Shurtleff,  Abial,   23,   107,   167, 

228,   293,   295,   300,   301, 

309,  329 
Addie  A.,  315 
Albert,  117,  243,  317,  337 
Albert    T.,    viii,    233,    328, 

332,  337 
Allerton  L.,  58,  243 
Andrew  G.,  228 
Barnabas,     68,     148,     196, 

300,  301,  307,  309,  330 
Benjamin,     93,     112,     167, 

199,   203,  269,  277,   293, 

294,  296,   300,   301,   309, 

317,  329,  332,  334 
Benjamin  L.,  319 
Betsey,  310 
Carlton,  262 
Chloe,  323 
Cordelia  P.,  319 
David,   62,    108,   257,    301, 

307,  336 
Deborah,  317 
Deborah,  2nd,  317 
Ebenezer,    131,    167,    172, 

173,  317 
Elisabeth,  317 
Eliza  B.,  319 
Eliza  G.,  315 
Geneva  E.,  319 
Flavel,  167 
Flora  M.,  334 
Francis,  102,  137,  167,  224, 

225,   293,  301,  308,   326, 

George,  219,  239 

George  A.,  334 

Gideon,  108,  131,  167,  225, 

242,  330,  332,  336 
Gideon,  Jr.,  167 
Hannah,  311 
Henry  P.,  235 


362 


HISTORY   OF    CARVER 


Shurtleff,  Ichabod,  110,  175, 176, 
177,  190,  294,  307,  320 

Ichabod,  Jr.,  321,  338 

James,  132 

James  F.,  235 

Jemina,  308 

Joel,  61 

John,   104,   295,   307 

Joseph  F.,  228 

Joseph  T.,  161 

Levi,   165,  228,  234,  317 

Lizzie  G.,  315 

Lot,  132,  159,  167,  317,  336 

Lothrop,  300,  328 

Lucy,  312,  321 

Lucy  T.,  317 

Lula,  319,  324 

Lydia,  310,  312,  318 

Marcy,  318 

Maria  Y.,  150,  249 

Martha,  318,  321 

Mary,  318 

Mary,  2nd,  318 

Mercy,  165,  321 

Micah  G.,  235,  315 

Nathaniel,    132,    167,    176, 
20'2 

Nathaniel,    of    Middleboro, 
168 

Oliver  L.,  262,  319,  338 

Percy  W.,  262,  325 

Perez  T.,  228,  237,  249,  319 

Peter,  123,  131,  167 

Phebe,  115,  312 

Priscilla,  165,  318 

Ehoda,  318 

Eobert,  131 

Euth,  318 

Euth  B.,  318 

Samuel,  307 

Samuel  A.,  279,  332,  334 

Stephen,  296,  310,  312,  328, 
330,  336 

Sylvia,  175,  320 

Thomas,  131,  167,  202 

William,  14,  164,  165,  295, 
315,  318 

William  F.,  228 
Shurtleff  Park,  269 
Six-Mile  brook,  20,  268 
Skipper,  192 

Skipper  Edmund  Place,  265 
Slug  furnace,  275 


Small  pox,  182,  244,  245 
Smith,  Caesar,  106 

Eev.  Charles,  179 

Eev.  George  L.,  187 

Hannah,  161 

Lizzie  L.,  323 

Lois,  161 

Perez,  190 

Elder  T.,  172 

Eev.  W.,  183 
Snappit,  269 
Snell,  Capt.  Josiah,  87 
Soldiers  Monument,  262 
Sons  of  Temperance,  160 
Sons  of  Veterans,  262 
Sonnett,  Dorothy,  14 

Samuel,  14 
Soule,  Asa,  105 

Asaph,  104 

Daniel,  106 

Ebenezer,  106 

Ephraim,  108 

James,  108 

Mary  A.,  318 

Zej^haniah,  105 
South  Carver,  16,  61 
South  Meadows,  20 
South  Meeting  House,  121,  123, 

151,  165 
South  Middleboro,  170,  177 
Souther,  Emma,  161,  323 
Southworth,  Carl  Z.,  207 

Eli,  189,  261 

Lucy  A.,  324 

Thomas,  133,  188,  326,  332 

Thomas  M.,  189,  190,  243, 
324,  328,  334 
SparroTT,  Eichard,  22 
Spaulding,  George  L.,  262 
Spruce  Church,  167 
Stamp  Act,  92 
Standish,  Ebenezer,  107 

Moses,  107 

Nathaniel,  132,  201 

Peleg,  110 

Shadrach,  104 

Zachariah,   106 
Standish  Guards,  229 
Stanley,  Herbert  A.,  332 

Mary,  323 

William  F.,  323,  338 
Stetson,  Edward,  143 

Jonathan,  318 


INDEX   OF   NAMES 


363 


Stetson,  Lottie  W.  C,  315 
Mary  Ann,  312 
Eev.  Oscar  F.,  120,  315,  337 
Stevens,  Edward,  104,  106,  300, 
332 
John,  104 
Lemuel,  106 
Sylvanus,  108 
William,  106 
Storms,  Henry,  323 
Storrs,  Eev.  Kichard  S.,  114 
Stringer,  Ephraim  E.,  207 
Horace  D.,  262 
James  H.,  232,  234 
John  A.,  234 
Joseph  P.,  232,  235 
Strong,  Eev.  Jonathan,  77 
Sturtevant,  Asa,  107 
Caleb,  105 
Cornelius,  106 
David,  110 
Frances,  101,  102,  104,  106, 

110,  131,  199 
Jesse,  102 
Nehemiah,  108 
Noah,  103 

Eobert,  102,  199,  201 
Silas,  102,  106 
William,  106,   107 
Sturtevant  house,  58 
Sullivan,  Thomas,  239 
Swan,  Lizzie,  319 
Minnie,  319 
Ponsonby  M.,  320 
Swan  Hold,  3,  17,  266 
Swedenborg,  Emanuel,  115 
Sweezy,  Estelle,  320 
Sweet,  Eev.  Charles  H.,  183 
Swift,  Lester  W.,  324 

Nehemiah  G.,  249,  324 
Sarah  J.,  162,  324 


Taber,  Adeline  M.,  323 
Tarbox,  George  F.,  239 
Tariff,  93 

Tarr,  Eev.  J.  J.  G.,  120 
Taylor,  John,  110 
Tea  Kettle,  first,  197 
Thatcher,  Dr.  James,  209 
Thayer,  Isaac,  110 
Peter,  106 


Thomas,  Abial,  195 
Arad,  318 
Augusta  C,  323 
Eli,  61,  168 
Foxwell,  318 
George  P.,  262 
Herbert  I.,  323 
Isaiah,  106 
Israel,  127,  132 
John,  87,  176 
Joseph,  135 
Martha,  318 
Mary,  313,  323 
Mary  E.,  320 
Moses,  318 
Perez,  77 
Seneca  E.,  227,  229 
Susan,  318 

Thompson  P.,  189,  229,  323 
William,  199 
Thompson,  Eev.  C.  S.,  171 
Ezra,  151,  157,  159,  334 

Jacob,  24,  77 

Lothrop,  111 
Threshie,  Charles,  205,  334 
Tibbetts,  Andrew  S.,  229 
Tiger  Field,  265 
Tihonet,  48,  123 
Tillson,  Ann  M.  F.,  312 

Augustus  F.,  190,  228,  243, 
335 

Bethnel,  168 

Betsey,  311 

Chester  F.,  161,  324 

Cintia,  321 

Deborah,  324 

Dora  F.,  263 

Ephraim,  22 

Edmund,  23 

Frank  F.,  338 

George  W.,  234 

Hannah,  161 

Harriett,   161 

Hiram,  133,  228 

Hiram  B.,  232 

Hiram    O.,    161,    228,    232, 
236 

Hope,  213 

Ichabod,  106,  131,  201 

Ida  M.,  162 

Isaiah,  103,  163,  225,  294, 
296,  298,  300,  308,  330 

James,  315 


364 


HISTORY   OF   CARVER 


Tillson,  James  B.,  303,  304,  312, 
327 
Joanna,  321 
John,  106,  132 
Jonathan,    138,    258,    294, 
296,  297,  300,  301,  309, 
329 
Louisa,  321 
Lucy,  308 
Luther,  132 
Marcus  M.,  228 
Phebe,  308 
Polly,  311 
Eeba  B.,  263,  324 
Eebecea,  321 
Samuel,  295 
Stephen,  132 
Thomas,  132,  311 
Timothy,  306 
Truman  B.,  332 
Wilfred  A.,  324,  332 
William,  315 
Zenas,  133,  189 
TiUson  Farm,  62 
Tinkham,  Ephraim,   14,  22,  108 
Isaac,  107 
Joseph,  110 
Tirrell,  Eev.  Eben,  179 
Tisdale,  Samuel,  272 
Tories,  96,  258 
Tory  lands,  95,  96,  258 
Town,  division  of,  47,  48,  67 
fined,  259 
hall,  141 

meeting  places,  140 
officers,  35 
pound,  142 
records,  iv 
Totman,  Elisabeth,  308 

Joshua,  107,  308 
Tobey,  Gerard,  206 

Eev.    James    J.,    171,    320, 

335 
Mary,  162 
Mary  A,,  320 
Tozer,  Eev.  William,  179 
Tounsend,  Eev.  Paul,  179 
Training  field,  258,  269 
Tripp,  John,  164,  165,  171,  172 
Trudo,  Nelson,  239 
Tubbs,  Benjamin,  106 
Turner  Place,  268 
Turner,  Hannah,  16 


Turner,  Job  A.,  268 
Tithingmen,  46,  141 


Undesirable  citizens,  47 
Union  meetings,  decline  of,  81 
Union  Cemetery,  249 
Union  Society,  188 
United  Fruit  Co.,  283 
Universalism,  116 
Universalists,  185,  186 


Vail,  Adoniram  W.,  229 

Hannah,  318 

Hazadiah,  318 

Isaac  B.,  232,  235 
Valley  Forge,  107 
Van  Schaack,  George  W.,  324 

Mary  Page,  273 
Vaughan,  AbigaU,  308 

Alvin,    159,   294,   297,   303, 
304 

Austin  N,,  183,  325 

Bertha  F.,  320 

Charles  E.,  325 

Christina  C,  320 

Daisey,  263,  324 

Daniel,  104,  107,  300,  304, 
308,  310 

David,  168,  318 

Desire,  162,  320 

Edward,   161 

Edwin  A.,  320 

Elisabeth,  308 

Eunice,  181,  311,  325 

Ezra,  304,  313 

Hannah,  310 

Huldah,  309,  318 

Isaac,    183,   304,   311,   328, 

329,  335,  336 
Isaac  C, '229 

James,    79,    139,    143,   300, 

310,  332 
James    A.,    161,    172,    173, 

243,  249,  320,  329,  335 
J.  Erville,  325 
Joseph,  104,   258,  300,  310 
Julia  F.,  325 
Levi,    115,    158,    159,    224, 

225,   293,   296,   297,   300, 

301,   303,   304,   305,   310, 

330,  336 


INDEX   OF   NAMES 


365 


Vaughan,  Levi  C,  237 

Lewis,  310,  329 

Lydia,  310 

Mrs.  L.  C,  162 

Minnie  M.,  325 

Nathaniel,  225,  296,  329 

Phebe,  181,  311,  313 

Polly,  313 

Kebeeca,  311 

Samuel,  107,  190 

Sarah  S.,  311 

Susannah,  310 

Theodore  T.,  161,  249,  332, 
336 

Thomas,  248,  328,  332,  835, 
336 

Waitstm,  181,  311,  325 

Webster  E.  C,  325 

William  E.  H.,  325 

William  E.  W.,  183,  325 
Veal,  Sylvia,  311 

William,  311 
Vinal,  Blanche  E.,  320 

Cora  E.,  320 

Mrs.  E.,  320 

Eev.  H.  ¥.,  171,  320 
Virgin,  Melissa  C,  313 

Samuel,  313 
Voters  of  Plympton  1708-9,  44, 
45 


Wade,  Abbie  W,,  325 

Esther  A.,  325 

Henry  W,,  325 

WilUam,  239 
Walker  &  Pratt  Co.,  215,  274 
Wallace,  Eev.  S.  Y.,  179 
Wallis,  James,  297 
Wankinquoah,  2,  4,  17 
Wankinco  bog,  220 
War  of  1812,  vii,  241 
Ward,  Ann  Janette,  315 

Ansel,  228 

Ansel  B.,  234,  335 

Austin,  237 

Benjamin,  96,  97,  106,  121, 
122,  131,  168,  226,  227, 
318,  332 

Col.  Benjamin,  132,  213, 
224,  225 

Capt.  Benj.,  139,  226,  332 


Ward,  Benjamin,  Jr.,  168 

Clara  E.,  315 

Eliab,   141,   146,  243,  318, 
332,  335,  337 

Ephraim,  131,  132,  168 

Fred  A.,  249,  315,  332,  336 

Henry  T.,  238 

Mary  B.,  313 

Molly,  318 

Priscilla,  318 

Sally,  318 

Stillman,  313,  332 

Stillman  W.,  240 

Eev.  William  I.,  179 
Warren  Association,  165 
Warren,  Benjamin,  77 
Washburn,  Asaph,  61,  80,   132, 
296,  310,  330 

Charles  P.,  207 

Deborah,  309 

Elva  H.,  263,  324 

Emma  G.,  315 

Henry  C,  321 

Jemima,  310 

Jemima  D.,  312 

Joanna,  321 

John,  106 

Joseph  G.,  234 

Joseph  H.,  315 

Louisa,  321 

Marshall  A.,  235,  321 

Mary,  310 

Mary  E.,  323 

Nathan  H.,  323 

Olive  S.,  318 

Peleg  B.,  235 

Perez,  133,  310,  329 

Salmon,  202 

Samuel  D.,  323 

Sarah  B.,  312 

Sarah  W.,  323 

Sophia,  310 

Virginia  H.,  323 

William,  61,  107,  131 
Waterman,  Amanda,  313 

Benjamin,  202 

Eliphalet,  105 

Hannah,  310 

Ichabod,  202 

Isaac,  86,  196,  297,  307 

James,  229,  312 

John,  22,  296 

Joanna,  311 


366 


HISTORY   OF   CARVER 


Waterman,  Phebe  D.,  313 

Eobert,  110 

T.  Eogers,  202 
Wattins,  Euth,  309 
Wattis,  Sarah,  308 
Watson,  George,  22,  194 

Goodman,  22 

Mary  Jane,  318 

Eobert,  318 
Watsons  Cove  Brook,  194 
Wenham,  266 
Weddling,  Charles,  323 
West,  Samuel,  110 
Westgate,  Ephraim  C,  321 

George  H.,  207,  323 

Howard  G.,  207 

Eufus  S.,  207 
Weston,  Daniel,  272 

Frank  F.,  262 

Hannah,  189 

Jabez,  106 

Job,  102 

Seneca  T.,  262 

Thomas,  197 

Zadock,  103 
Wheeler,  Sarah  L.,  313 
Wheton,  Elisabeth,  308 
Whidden,  Simeon  L.,  320 
White,  Benjamin,  131,  138,  168, 
200,  332,  336 

Eva  L.,  320 

Friend,  209 

George  E.,  243,  320 

Helen  E.,  320 

Henry,  232,  234 

Samuel,  202 
Whites  Mill,  254 
Whitehead,  James  C,  243 

Leah  M.,  315 
Whitcomb,  Hannah  L.,  313 

Dr.  Jonah,  245 

Eev.  William  C,  120,  313 
Whiting,  Benjamin,'  77 

William,  107,  110 
Whitton,  Azariah,  295 

Joseph,  108 

Elisha,  103 
Wild  game,  264 
Williams,  Eev.  Edward,  179 

Hilma,  323 

Mary  A.,  323 
Winatuxet,  2,  17 


Winberg,  Hattie  D,,  263,  324 

John  A.,  207 
Winter,  Almeda  E.,  315 
Witham,  John,  229 
Witon,  Euth,  308 

Priseilla,  309 

Isaiah,  306 

John,   306 
Wolf  Island,  266 
Woman's  Alliance,  263 
Woman's  C.  T.  Union,  162 
Wood,  Benjamin,  306 

David,  103,  104,  295,  308 

Dinah,  318 

G.  F.,  335 

Lillian  F.,  320 

Lydia,  308 

Nathaniel,  22 

Noah,  202 

Eebeeca,  308 

Samuel,  307 
Wright,  Adam,  103 

Agatha,  318 

Benjamin,  103 

Caleb,  210,  318 

Ebenezer,  110 

Edmund,  110 

Hattie,  323 

Isaac,  106 

Jacob,  106 

James,  132,  213,  318 

Joseph,  104,  106,  108,  110, 
257 

Joshua,  108 

Levi,  106 

Eev.  Luther,  113,  120 

Mercy,  318 

Molly,  318 

Moses,  166,  318 

Nathan,  110 

Samuel,  104,  106 

Stephen,  210 

Winslow,  318 

Zadock,  108,  132 

Zoath,  132,  213 
Wrightington,    Benjamin,    131, 
207,  318,  321 

Cynthia  M.,  315 

David,  318 

Henry,  210,  315 

Thomas,  188 

Thomas  W.,  228